Page Zero of Torah Tidbits 759Dear TTPDF reader,
The hard copy of TT is read primarily by people living in Israel. Thewebsite and the email, which now links heavily to the website, is read bypeople all over the world. Largest segment of the readership is from theStates, but many people in Israel prefer the electronic versions of TT,either because hard copy is unavailable to them, or they like the pick andchoose your features aspect of the eTT. We have subscribers in the UK,Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Holland, Czech Republic, and manyother places around the world. We know a little about the whereabouts ofthe readership from their email addresses. We wanted to share this withyou and thank you for reading, because without you, our "falling tree in
the forest" might not be making asound. This issue is a TRIPPPLE one,covering Shabbat HaGadol (Tzav),Pesach, and Sh'mini. With Chagending for us on Monday night, wewere afraid we wouldn't be able tokeep to our production timetable. Itwas not easy to put this issue out, butwe hope you find it informative anduseful. CHAG KASHER V'SAMEI'ACH.
Lead Tidbit cont. from Front Page
passage is said in Aramaic, which was thecommon spoken language at the time ofthe compilation of the Hagada. Hebrewwas not understood by many Jews. It isvital that all Seder celebrants know themeaning of this opening statement, henceit is in Aramaic rather than Hebrew, as therest of the Hagada is. (Actually, our lastpart of the Hagada Chad Gadya is also inAramaic.) So our "child" sees all kinds ofcurious things, he has one thing explainedto him up front why we eat matza. Yet,what does he ask about? Matza. Brightkid? Yes, says Rav Sorotzkin. He isn'tasking why we eat matza; he just heardand understood the answer to that one.His question is why is it KULO MATZA,exclusively matza. If matza is the bread ofpoverty, slavery, and affliction, then whereis the fluffy, sweet, freshly baked challathat can represent freedom and nobility?That's the question, and it's a good one.The answer comes at the end of Magid,when we pick up the same broken piece ofmatza and ask the question about why weeat it. But the answer is different. Thistime, matza IS the bread of freedom,reminding us of the haste with which weretaken out of Egypt by Gd.
Pesach is CHAG HAMATZOT because ofhow well matza represents slavery and ourredemption from it.
When you hold a matza in your hand andare about to eat it in fulfillment of themitzva of Leil HaSeder or any other timeyou eat matza on Pesach, look at it as abefore and after. See the repeating cyclesin Jewish History that are many beforesand many afters. Maybe we can break thecycle and hasten the Geula, `"aa
WORD of the MONTH from p.2
A weekly TT feature to help clarify practicaland conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar,thereby enhancing our appreciation of Gd'sgift to Am Yisrael of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem...
We will have switched to Summer Time, makethat 7:01pm. That's right around sunset withmoonrise having occurred minutes before. KLmust be said when the sky is dark and the moonshines brightly. That won't happen on Mondaynight before the deadline for KL. Therefore,Sunday night is the last op.
Speaking of the Moon and Leil HaSeder, the Moonwill be just past opposition (Full Moon) and willappear to us that night as full. (In other words,we cannot perceive of the slight diminishing ofthe Moon so soon after NIGUD.) If you take awalk outside after the Seder, don't forget to lookat the Moon for a while.
While looking at the Moon is not dangerous (as islooking at the Sun), staring at a full moon cangive you a headache and a strained feelingbehind your eyes. So take it easy, but do marvelat Gd's wonderful creations.
Before, After, Before, AfterOnce in a while we have a Trippple issue of Torah Tidbits, and it is a "killer" toproduce. Hopefully you are reading these words on time, which means that TT759 actally made it.
But working on Shabbat HaGadol material, and Pesach material, and ParshatShmini material all at the same time, has given rise to the title of this LeadTidbit. The content will be Seder specific, but will generalize, as well.
Rav Sorotzkin, in his Hagada "HaShir v'haShevach" asks (and answers) thefollowing question: We do many things at the beginning of the Seder that areintended, in part, to arouse the curiosity of the Jewish child. (Here, the termJewish child applies to an actual child, and to someone of any age, whose Jewishknowledge and practice is on the meager side. Actually, any thinking and feeling
Jew should have a childlike curiosityand inquisitiveness about aspects ofJudaism that are not thoroughly knownto the individual.) The child is thenencouraged to ask questions. Amonghis questions are the famous Four. Thefirst of the Ma Nishtana questions isabout eating matza. The questionerseems to be asking, "Why do we eatmatza on Pesach?" Says Rav Sorotzkin,that is not an astute question at all. Wehave just recited HA LACHMA ANYA,the opening passage of the MAGIDportion of the Seder. That
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Ranges are FRIFRI11 Nisan 2 Iyar • (Mar30Apr20)Remember: Ranges span 22 days
Earliest Talit & T'filin 5:415:22amSunrise 6:326:14amSof Z'man K' Sh'ma 9:379:26am(Magen Avraham: 8:528:40am)
Sof Z'man T'fila 10:3910:31am(Magen Avraham: 10:099:59am)
Chatzot 12:4412:40pm(halachic noon)
Mincha Gedola 1:151:12pm(earliest Mincha)
Plag Mincha 5:395:46pmSunset 7:017:11pm(based on sea level: 6:567:06pm)
Last opportunity for KiddushL'vana this month is Sundaynight, leil 14 Nissan i.e. B'dikatChametz. As we've noted before,the actual deadline this month isMonday at 6:01pm. Since cont. p. 3
+2O
TZAV STATS25th of 54 sedras; 2nd of 10 in Vayikra
Written on 169.8 lines in a Torah, rank: 38th
8 Parshiyot, 7 open and 1 closed
97 p'sukim 36th (3rd in Vayikra)
same as Sho'f'tim, which is a bit larger thanTzav
Sources say that TZAV has TZAV (96)p'sukim. Our Chumashim have 97. Eitheroneoff is acceptable for G'matriyapurposes, or there was a slightly differentp'sukimbreakdown in the past.
1353 words 38th (3rd in Vayikra)
5096 letters 38th (3rd in Vayikra)
MITZVOT18 of 613; 9 positive; 9 prohibitions
AliyabyAliyaSedra Summary[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parshap’tucha or s’tuma respectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of thebeginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in theparsha.
Numbers in [square brackets] are the Mitzvacount of SeferHaChinuch AND Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI (positivemitzva); L=LAV (prohibition). X:Y is the perek and pasuk fromwhich the mitzva comes.
Kohen First Aliya 11 p'sukim 6:111[P> 6:1 (6)] After the preliminary descriptions ofthe different korbanot in last week's sedra, we nowfind the description of the daily service in theMikdash.
After burning all night, the fires of the Mizbei’achare tended first thing in the morning (beforesunrise). This first task of the day is relatively lessimportant than other tasks, although it wasenthusiastically sought after by young kohanim whovied for the honor of performing the mitzva of"T'rumat HaDeshen" [131,A30 6:3]. The kohenperforming this task would remove the ashes fromthe Mizbei’ach fires and place them beside theMizbei’ach. He would then change into othergarments (of a slightly lesser quality than thoseworn for "regular" Temple service) and take theashes to a specific "clean" place outside the camp.
The fire of the Mizbei’ach was to burn always
[132,A29 6:6] and was not allowed to beextinguished ever [133,L81 6:6].
The portion from the beginning of Tzav untilthis point is one of the daily readings of theKorbanot section of the Shacharit service. It
is very important to recite the portions of Korbanot, basedon the concept of "And our lips will substitute for thebulls". The Gemara relates the following: Avraham Avinuasked Gd "what method will my descendants have topursue atonement for their sins?". Gd told him thatsacrifices will help bring atonement. Avraham then askedwhat will be during the time that the Beit HaMikdash willnot stand and sacrifices will not be practiced. Gd'sanswer: "I have already prepared for that eventuality. Aslong as they read the Torah portions about sacrifices, Iwill consider it as if they actually offered the sacrifices,and I will forgive them their iniquities." This idea ishinted at by the words in the opening pasuk of the sedra:ZOT TORAT HA'OLAH This Torah (portion) of the Olah HI (sounds like the English word he) HA'OLAH... It(the passage) IS the Olah.
The Mishna in Yoma describes theenthusiasm with which the kohanim wouldvie for the honor of tending the fires on the
Mizbei'ach. When given the "go ahead" by the seniorkohen in charge, the young kohanim would race up theramp first one to the top of the Mizbei'ach wouldperform the task. When it happened that one kohen fell (orgot bumped) from the ramp and was injured (some sayworse), the Sages changed the method of choosing fromamong many kohanim, to the less dangerous countingfingers around the circle of kohanim to a randomlyselected larger number than kohanim present.
[P> 6:7 (5)] The Torah next returns to the topic ofthe "mealofferings", the MINCHA. A small amountof the flouroil mixture and all of the frankincense(L'VONA) was scooped up and placed on theMizbei'ach to burn. The "mincha" was not to bemade Chametz [135,L124 6:10] (there areexceptions to this rule, notably some of theMenachot that accompanied the TODA offering,which therefore was not brought on Pesach this iswhy we do not say "Mizmor L'Toda", T’hilim 100, onPesach. The other exception is/are the SHTEIHALECHEM, the twoloaves offering of Shavuot.).The rest of the "mincha" is eaten by male kohanimon duty in the Beit HaMikdash at the time of theoffering [134,A88 6:9].
Levi Second Aliya 22 p'sukim 6:127:10[P> 6:12 (5)] Each day, the Kohen Gadol is tobring a mealoffering of a tenth of an eifa of flour(plus oil & spice) half in the morning and halfbefore evening [136,A40 6:13]. This mincha wasnot to be eaten [137, L138 6:16], but rather wascompletely consumed on the Mizbei' ach.
[P> 6:17 (7)] The CHATAT [138,A64 6:18] wasslaughtered in the same place as the "Olah" (viz. the
north side of the Mizbei'ach). An integral part of asinoffering is the eating of its meat by the kohen(kohanim) who brought it on behalf of the sinners.
The Meshech Chochma points out that thekohen who dealt with the sacrifice is the onewho should eat from it, because only he
would know if his kavanot (thoughts and intentions) werecorrect or not. His eating of the sacrifice makes thestatement that he indeed did and thought all that wasrequired. (The punishment for a kohen intentionallyeating of an invalid sacrifice in this case, he being theonly person who could know of its invalidity ispunishable by "death from heaven".) We see in this issue,a high level of account ability a person carries for hisown actions. Sort of like a Mashgi’ach certifying thekashrut of a restaurant would he himself eat there? Onewould hope so.
Certain chata'ot, whose blood was brought into theMikdash, were not to be eaten [139,L139 6:23],but rather completely consumed on the Mizbei ach.
The Kli Yakar points out that the Torahcommands the bringing of the Chatat andAsham (the Sin and Guilt offerings) in the
same place in the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash as theOlah in order to protect the feelings and privacy of thesinner. People who see him at that place can now assumethat he is bringing an Olah and will not auto maticallyjump to the conclusion that he has sinned. This is similarto one of the reasons given for the Amida being a silentprayer this protects a davener from the embarrassmentof something he might include in his prayer beingoverheard by others. This is one of many, many morallessons that can be derived from the Korbanot.Someone with very limited vision might ask, “Whyshould we ‘waste our time’ learning aboutKorbanot?” Part of the reason (only part) is for thelessons we learn that have ramifica tions beyondthe service in the Mikdash. Torah lessons are foralways.
Shlishi Third Aliya 28 p'sukim 7:1138[P> 7:11 (17)] The Torah next discusses theSh'lamim, [141,A66 7:11] beginning specificallywith the "Toda". The animal sacrifice isaccompanied by various types of wafers and cakes.Parts of the animal are burned on the Altar, partsare given to the kohen, and the remainder is to beeaten by the bringer of the korban. The korbanmust be eaten by midnight (actual deadline isdawn; midnight is required as a precaution). It isforbidden to leave over any of the korban untilmorning [142,L120 7:15]; that which is left overmust be burned [143,A91 7:17]. If the Sh'lamim isin fulfillment of a vow, its meat may be eaten fortwo days, becoming "Notar" on the 3rd day.
It is forbidden to eat "Pigul" [144, L132 7:18].Pigul is a type of invalid korban, where that whichrendered the korban unfit for the Mizbei’ach was
not something physical nor a mistake in the kohen'saction, but rather an incorrect thought (kavana), ofcertain types. It is significant that improperthoughts alone can effect the status of a korban.
The most severe lapse in a kohen's kavana isone concerning time. A lapse regardingplace of the eating of the korban, for
example, still renders the korban invalid, but is lesssevere, punish mentwise. If the kohein has in mind to eatfrom the korban at a time when it is no longer allowed,then that miskavana renders the korban “ClassA Pigul”.This fits with our previous notions concerning Shabbatand the Mishkan, that the sanctity of time is "higher" (insome way) than the sanctity of place. (from a long time ago but memorable drasha by Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld.)
It is forbidden to eat of a korban that has becometamei (ritually unclean) [145,L130 7:19]. This ispunishable by makot. It is required to burn tameikorbanot [146,A90 7:19]. A person who is tameiwho intentionally eats meat of a korban is liable to"koreit" ("cut off" by Gd).
Certain fats of kosher animals are forbidden to eat[147,L185 7:23]. This is the prohibition of"cheilev". There are differences between the cheilevof a korban and that of a regular CHULIN(nonsacred) animal.
Eating blood of a bird or mammal is a capitaloffense (from Heaven) [147, L185 7:26]. Eatingmeat with blood still in it is a lesser offense, butnonetheless forbidden. This is why meat has to be"kashered", not just kosher.
Rashi teaches us that the specific mention ofmammals and birds in the prohibition ofblood teaches us that the blood of fish and
locust are not forbidden. Note that birds and mammalsrequire sh'chita, and they are the two classes ofwarmblooded animals, as opposed to fish and insects.
[P> 7:28 (11)] What follows are more details of theSH'LAMIM: what parts go on the Altar, what partsgo to the kohen, etc.
The Torah explains not only what, but why thekohanim receive certain parts of the korbanot.Done properly, we see the relationship and balancebetween the kohein and the people.
These are the rules of the various types of korbanotthat Gd commanded Moshe on Har Sinai on the daythat He commanded the people of Israel to offerkorbanot to Gd, in Midbar Sinai
R'vi'i Fourth Aliya 13 p'sukim 8:113[P> 8:1 (36)] Having set down the rules, Gd nowcommands Moshe to take Aharon and his sons, thegarments of the kohanim, the sacri ficial animals,and the anointing oil, and perform the inauguralceremonies for the Mishkan in the presence of thePeople. Moshe dresses Aharon in the garb of the
Kohen Gadol, anoints him, the Altar, and the vesselsof the Mishkan. He also dresses Aharon's sons.
According to Rashi, based on the Gemara, theseven day inauguration period for the Mishkanpreceded its being put together. This, says Rashi,is another example of EIN SEDER MUKDAMU'M'UCHAR BATORAH, that the Torah is not alwaysin chronological order.
Chamishi Fifth Aliya 8 p'sukim 8:1421A bull as a sinoffering is brought and Aharon andhis sons "lean" on it. (This is a vital element of mostpersonal korbanot. It facilitates a psychologicalidentification with the animal and adds meaning tothe act of sacrifice.) Leaning (smicha) isaccompanied by confession (vidui) or words ofpraise to Gd, depending upon the type of korban.The bull was slaughtered and part of its blood wasput on the corners of the Mizbei’ach and on its base.Parts of the bull were placed on the Mizbei’ach; theremainder was burned outside the camp.
The first of two rams was next offered, as an OLAH.
It is very important for us to under stand thatKorbanot were not "hocus pocus, we're forgiven"offerings. It doesn't work like that. Never did. A SinOffering, whipping by the Sanhedrin, even a deathpenalty, had to be accompanied by real T'shuvaand Vidui. Without the heart in thekorbanequation, the people were continuallycastigated by Gd for hollow meaningless acts andlip service. The ceremonies have deep significanceand meaning, but the heart and soul of a personmust truly be involved, otherwise the korban is(less than) nothing.
Shishi Sixth Aliya 8 p'sukim 8:2229The second ram was then offered (as a SH'LAMIMcalled EIL HAMILU'IM) and several procedures, asspecified in the Torah, were followed. Note thatMoshe Rabeinu was an active participant in the7day inauguration period for the Mishkan.Thereafter, Aharon and his sons (and all kohanim)are the ones who perform the sacred service of theMikdash.
From the description of the proce dures ofthe bringing of various sacrifices, it is clearthat the kohen is not merely a technician
who is authorized to perform the service, but rather he isan integral part of the bringing of the korban. This is seenby the various dabbings on the earlobe (some say that itwas the upper part of the ear that is the T'NUCH, and stillothers say the cartilage in the center of the ear), thumb,and big toe of the kohen, etc. as described in this parsha.So too, the fact that the kohanim must eat of variousofferings not just to be fed, but to be active in the
Korban process indicates their integral involvement inthe bringing of Korbanot.
Sh'vi'i Seventh Aliya 7 p'sukim 8:3036Further anointing of Aharon, his sons, and theirgarments. Then Moshe told them to prepare part ofthe meat for eating with the accompanying cakesand wafers. That which was left over was to beburned. During the seven inaugural days, thekohanim were not to leave the Mishkan; theyremained there as an honorguard.
Rashi teaches us that in addition to thisonetime isolation of 7 days, there were twoother times the Kohein Gadol was isolated
for a 7day preparatory period. One is the week beforeYom Kippur this was every year, of course. And theother was for the preparation of the Para Aduma thiswas once in a (long) while Para Aduma was not acommon event. This idea is alluded to by the wordsLA’ASOT (Para) and L’CHAPEIR (Yom Kippur).
Aharon and his sons did all that Gd hadcommanded through Moshe.
The final 4 p'sukim are reread for the Maftir. Unlikethe special Four Portions which have a specialreading in a second Torah, for Shabbat HaGadolthere is a special haftara, but only one Torah istaken out and the Maftir is Parshat HaShavua style,i.e. repeat of the last 36 p’sukim.
Haftara 21+1 p'sukim Mal’achi 3:424The haftara speaks of faithfulness to Torah and thepromise of the coming of Eliyahu HaNavi as theharbinger of the Complete Redemption. That thesecond, to some extent, depends on the first can beseen in the closeness of the following two phrases:ZICHRU TORAT MOSHE... (remember the Torah, andkeep it), and HINEI ANOCHI SHOLEI ACH LACHEM...and if you do, then I will send Eliyahu...
Note: The penultimate (next to the last) pasuk isrepeated as the concluding pasuk of the haftara.This is done to end TreiAsar on a positive note.
SHABBAT HAGADOLThe date of the first Shabbat HaGadol was 10Nissan. And that is particularly significant, becauseone of the reasons we call it Shabbat HaGadol, hasto do with events of the 10th of Nissan 2448. TheJews in Egypt were commanded not a mitzva forthe generations, but rather a onetimecommandment to take a lamb (or young goat)into their homes on the 10th of Nissan, four daysbefore they were to slaughter it as the KorbanPesach. (In future years, halacha allows one toacquire his animal for K.P. even on his way to Har
HaBayit on the afternoon of Erev Pesach. Inpractice, however, people did designate the lambor goat as early as the 10th of Nissan, so it couldbe properly inspected for blemishes for the fourdays before its being brought to the Mizbei'ach. Butit was required to take the animal on the 10th, onlyduring that first, original Nissan.)
The Midrash tells us of the unusual miracle thatoccurred on the original Shabbat HaGadol. TheEgyptians asked the Jews what they were doingwith the lambs. When the Jews told them that theywere going to sacrifice them to Gd, the Egyptianswould have been expected to react with outrageand anger at the "desecra tion" of their deity. Butthey didn't. They took the news calmly. This isconsidered a great miracle, in addition to othermiracles of that Shabbat day; this led to identifythe day throughout the generations as ShabbatHaGadol.
Since the people of Israel entered into the realm ofmitzvot by fulfilling the command to take the K.P.into their homes, they changed their status fromKATAN to GADOL, much like a Bar Mitzva boy orBat Mitzva girl do when they receive upon hisshoulders the yoke of mitzvot. Hence, ShabbatHaGadol.
Even after Moshe got Shabbat from Par'o for thepeople as a day of rest, when Shabbat ended, itsaw the Jews back into slavery and oppression. Notso the Shabbat prior to the Exodus. That was trulya Shabbat HaGadol.
The Torah calls the first day of Pesach Shabbat(because of the forbidden activities on Yom Tov, itqualifies to be called Shabbat, a day of rest), as in,"on the morrow of the Shabbat you shall begincounting". The Tzedokim claimed that Shabbatrefers only to Saturday. Traditional Judaism claimsthat there is a "minor" or small Shabbat (Yom Tov)in contrast with Shabbat HaGadol, when allMelachot are prohibited. It is the Shabbat rightbefore the Yom Tov day in question that got thename Shabbat HaGadol because of its closenessto the first day of Pesach, the contrast between thetwo Shabbats is highlighted.
Of course, the famous pasuk in the Haftara, tellingus that Gd will send Eliya(hu) HaNavi before thecoming of Gd's Day, the great (haGadol) andterrifying one.
Until this preExodus Shabbat, Shabbat onlypossessed the aspect of acknowledging Gd for HisCreation of the wolrd. With the preparation for K.P.and for leaving Mitzrayim, Shabbat took on theextra dimension of commemorating the Egyptianexperience and the Exodus. Shabbat increased insignificance and scope and became then a ShabbatHaGadol.
Pesach this 'n thatWe stop asking for TAL U'MATAR after Mincha onErev Pesach. We continue to say MASHIVHARUACH in Maariv and Shacharit of the first dayof Pesach. Then we say T'FILAT TAL and fromMusaf of the first day of Pseach, we will be sayingMORID HATAL. And at Maariv following Yom Tov,
we will begin saying V'TEIN BRACHA in theweekday Amida.If one mistakenly says MASHIV HARU’ACHU'MORID HAGASHEM [G] once we stop saying it,the Amida is considered invalid and must berepeated. Catching oneself within the secondbracha of the Amida, requires backtracking to thebeginning of that bracha and saying from there ATA GIBOR... Forgetting MORID HATAL (but notsaying [G] either) does not require repeating oreven returning to say it.
First Day of PesachFirst Torah five people, 31 p'sukim Sh'mot12:2151 (Parshat BO)
This portion is the continuation of what we read onShabbat HaChodesh. It contains the actualprocedures to be followed in the bringing of theKorban Pesach, the account of the night of the10th plague, the Exodus, the Exodus Matzaconnection, reference to Leil Shimurim, andmitzvot related to K.P.
Second Torah Maftir, 10 p'sukim Bamidbar28:1625 (Pinchas)
Contains the Korban Musaf of Pesach. Begins withKorban Pesach on the 14th and repetition of the"comand" to eat matza for seven days.
Haftara: 15 p’sukimYehoshua 5:26:1
The Torah tells us of Pesach Mitzra yim, and thenof the first annual Pesach. After that, KP was notbrought for the duration of the time in the Midbar.The haftara tells of the mass circumcision at Gilgalof the males who were below military age when wecame out of Egypt and those born in the Midbar.Following the Mila (which is a prerequisite of KP),the first Pesach in Eretz Yisrael was observed. TheManna ceased and the new People of Israel atefrom the harvest of the Land for the first time.Yehoshua meets an angel and is about to beginpreparations for battle against Yericho, the firststep in conquering the Land.
2nd day (1 Chol HaMoed)First Torah 3 people, 52 p'sukim Vayikra22:2623:44 (EMOR)
The bulk of the reading is The Festival Portion,chapter 23 in Vayikra. It deals with the entire cycleof holidays, all of which revolve around Pesach, allof which in some way commemorate the Exodus.The reading contains the mitzva of the Omer whichwas brought on the second day of Pesach. Perfecttiming. The Festival Portion is pre ceded byseveral p'sukim that deal with sacrifices and withthe mitzvot of Kiddush HaShem. Reference is madeto Gd's taking us out of Egypt definitely part ofthe reason for "adding" this to the Festival portion.
Second Torah 4th Aliya, 7 p'sukim Bamidbar28:1925 (Pinchas)
Contains just the Musaf of Pseach, without the first3 p'sukim read on the first day only.
In loving memory of
Pola Feltscher d"ron her 14th yahrzeit
We miss you, Nana
3rd day (2 Chol HaMoed)First Torah three people, 16 p'sukim Sh'mot13:116 (Parshat BO)
This is the continuation of the reading of the firstday of Pesach. It consists of the two parshiyotknown as KADEISH and V'HAYA KI Y'VI'ACHA,which join the first two portions of the Sh'ma asthe four parshiyot in T'filin. The reading containsthe mitzvot of the sanctity of firstborns, whichderives from the events in Mitzrayim. Extensivereference to Pesach is also found here.
2nd Torah 4th Aliya, same as day 2
4th day (3 Chol HaMoed)First Torah three people, 26 p'sukim Sh'mot22:2423:19 (MISHPATIM)
This portion contains many mitzvot including thoserelated to the Three Festivals. The opening mitzvotof this portion deal with Tzedaka. This isparticularly appropriate in light of the practice ofKIMCHA D'PISCHA, pro viding for the Pseachneeds of the poor.
2nd Torah 4th Aliya, same as day 2
5th day (4 Chol HaMoed)Shabbat Chol HaMoedMany shuls have the custom of reading ShirHaShirim before Torah reading on Shabbat CholHaMoed. When it is read from a kosher megilascroll, AL MIKRA MEGILA and SHE'HE' CHE'YANUare said. The love between Gd and Israel is thetheme of Shir HaShirim. That love was forged inEgypt (and earlier, from the time of the Avot &Imahot).
First Torah 7 people, 38 p'sukim Sh'mot33:1234:26 (KI TISA)
Who knows 13 Thirteen are the MIDOT of Gd.This is the main theme of the reading of ShabbatChol HaMoed. In the aftermath of the Sin of theGolden Calf, Moshe Rabeinu asks Gd to allow himto know Him (Gd) more intimately. Gd will notallow that completely, for this is impossible for anyhuman being, but He will show Moshe more ofHimself (so to speak) than anyone else would eversee. Gd then commands Moshe to cut newLUCHOT and write upon them that which waswritten on the first set, that you broke. Gdforgives the People, sends Moshe back to themwith the new LUCHOT, and with the specialknowledge of the YUDGIMMEL MIDOT, which thepeople of Israel are to use in prayer, and some ofwhose traits, we are to emulate.
This is followed by a review of the three majorChagim, including mitzvot related to Pesach.
2nd Torah MAFTIR, same as day 2
Haftara: 14 p’sukimYechezkeil 37:114
This portion of the NAVI is the famous prophecy ofthe Valley of the Dry Bones. In his vision, the NAVIsees bones gradually get covered with sinew, flesh,and skin. Then Gd tells Yechezkeil to prophesy in
His name to the inert bodies that Gd will bring tothem the breath of life and they will live. Themessage to Yechezkeil (and all of us) is that theJewish Nation, scattered in Exile among the nationsof the world, are like those dry bones. But they arenot gone and forgotten. They will have the breathof Gd breathed into them and they will return tolife active spiritual, religious life. This prophecy isalso about T’CHIYAT HAMEITIM.
There are connections between this Haftara andPesach in general. But one can also see aconnection to the Torah reading specific to ShabbatChol HaMoed. After the Sin of the Golden Calf, thepeople were on the verge of extinction, but for theintercession of Moshe Rabeinu on our behalf. The13 Midot represent the restoration of life to thegeneration of the Midbar. In that way, the Haftarafits.Shabbat Mincha 3 people,16 p'sukim
As usual for Shabbat Mincha, we read the first partof the upcoming Parshat HaShavu’a SH'MINI
6th day (5 Chol HaMoed)First Torah 3 people, 14 p'sukim Bamidbar9:114 (B'HAALOT'CHA)
This portion deals with the first (and only) KorbanPseach brought in the Wilderness. It also containsthe mitzvot of Pesach Sheni.
2nd Torah 4th Aliya, same as day 2
7th day of PesachFirst Torah 5 people, 63 p'sukim Sh'mot13:1715:26 (B'SHALACH)
This reading is the continuation of the reading fromthe fourth day, which was a continuation of thefirst day, which was a continuation of the Maftir ofShabbat Parshat HaChodesh. This portion containsthe events immedi ately following Y'tzi'atMitzrayim, mainly the Splitting of the Sea thedrowning of the Egyptians, and the Song of the Sea AZ YASHIR. Our tradition is that it was on the 7thday of Pesach that we crossed Yam Suf.
2nd Torah Maftir, same as day 2
Haftara: 51 p’sikim2 Shmuel 22:151
This chapter is the Song of King David. It is writtenin exactly the same special style as AZ YASHIR iswritten in a Torah scroll. The haftara for the finalday of Pesach is the exultant hymn of thanksgivingto Gd. One gets the sense, when following Torahwith this Haftara, of B'CHOL DOR VADOR in everygeneration...
Shmini STATS26th of 54 sedras; 3rd of 10 in Vayikra
Written on 157.2 lines in a Sefer Torah, rank:42
6 Parshiyot; 3 open, 3 closed
91 p'sukim ranks 41st (4th in Vayikra)
1238 words 41st (5th in Vayikra)
4670 letters 41st (5th in Vayikra)tied with Chukat, more p'sukim, fewer words
MITZVOT17 mitzvot of the 613; 6 positive; 11 prohibitions
Kohen First Aliya 16 p'sukim 9:116[S> 9:1 (31)] On the 8th day, Aharon wascommanded to offer the first set of sacrifices (notcounting the korbanot that were brought during theprevious preparatory week). Specifically, "personal" korbanot an EIGEL (calf) as a CHATAT andan AYIL (ram) as an OLAH.
Then the People offer a goat as a CHATAT and a calfand a lamb as OLOT. Then a bull and ram asSH'LAMIM.
Ponder this... It is “obvious” that theCHATAT of a calf is an atonement for the Sin of theGolden Calf and/or an indication that Gd has
forgiven the people for the Golden Calf. In onecontext the Golden Calf was called "the calf thatAharon made". Therefore, the calf on the EighthDay is his CHATAT. The calf of the people is anOLAH, rather than a CHATAT. OLAH is brought forthoughts of certain sins; CHATAT is for acts. Thoseof Bnei Yisrael who DID whatever we will call it, theEIGEL, were killed. The rest of us were "guilty" ofindecision, fencesitting, confusion "sins" ofthought. Our calf was an Olah. Aharon's OLAH wasa ram, reminding us of Akeidat Yitzchak. No sinassociated with that. (Olah is not always aboutsin.) Our CHATAT was a goat, reminding us of ourformer collective sin of the selling of Yosef anddeception of Yaakov with the help of goat’s blood.
The Kohen Gadol removes his goldgarments before entering the Holy of Holieson Yom Kippur, because the "accuser does
not become the defender". Why then would we not makethe same argument against Aharon's offering of a calf asa Korban? Rashi indicates that the supersensitivityinvolved here applies inside the Mikdash, but not outside(at the Altar).Here's a general answer to this question and others.Horns from the bovine family of animals are notacceptable as a Shofar. On the other hand, look at thesekorbanot. And the fact that the Para Aduma is consideredan atonement for the Golden Calf.The K.G. didn't enter "inward" with gold, but whatgreeted him inside was an ARON plated with gold, goldrings, goldcovered poles, a solid gold lid, and K'RUVIMof gold.Bottom line: If Gd commands us to use gold, we use it. IfHe says no, we don't. Calf, cow, yes, no. Fine with us. YesAND no, just as Gd commands. Apply your own logicand do what you decide is best WRONG. Not up to us.Halacha tells us what is appropriate.
Levi Second Aliya 7 p'sukim 9:1723The Torah continues the details of the opening set ofsacrifices, the accom panying Mincha, theSh'lamim, what parts go on the Mizbei'ach. Thisshort Aliya concludes with Aharon raising hishand(s) to the people and blessing them.
The Torah spelled YADAV, his hands, without thesecond YUD, making the word resemble YADO, hishand. From here comes the tradition of the kohanimholding their two hands together as one duringBirchat Kohanim.
Baal HaTurim says that the three parts (3p'sukim) of Birchat Kohanim correspond tothe three kinds of korbanot that Aharon
brought on this first day of official functioning of theMishkan. May Gd bless you and protect you... from sin(CHATAT), the second pasuk uses words that tie in withOLAH, and the SHALOM of the final pasuk correspondsto SH'LAMIM.
Shlishi Third Aliya 12 p'sukim 9:2410:11A Divine Fire descended and consumed everythingon the Mizbei'ach. The people reacted to thismiracle with praise to Gd and reverence for Him.
Then Nadav and Avihu, two sons of Aharon (whohad been assisting Aharon), took censers with fireand offered incense before Gd. The fire was theirown, not that of the Mizbei’ach. A Divine Fire struckthem dead, con suming them from within, leavingthem outwardly unmarked.
Moshe's words of consolation to Aharon are metwith Aharon's silence. Moshe calls two cousins,Misha'el and Eltzafan, sons of Uziel, to remove thebodies. (That Aharon would not be allowed tobecome TAMEI to his sons is known from the rulesof Kohein Gadol. But neither were Elazar andItamar allowed to tend to the bodies. Althoughthey were not kohein gadol, they had beenanointed to the k'huna which gave them the statusof KG. Hence, the cousins, who were Leviyim hadto be called.)
(Almost in reaction to the tragedy,) the Torah nextsets down several rules (mitzvot) for kohanim, tosave them from endangering their lives. Kohanimmay not enter the Mikdash with long hair (amonthly trim was required) [149,L163 10:6], norwith torn gar ments [150,L164 10:6]. They maynot leave the Mikdash while performing their sacredwork [151, L165 10:7].
[P> 10:8 (4)] Furthermore, kohanim may not enterthe Mikdash while under the influence of wine[152,L73 10:8]. Violations of any of the abovewould be a show of disrespect to Gd. [Somecommentators infer from this last prohibition thatNadav and Avihu had drunk wine before theyentered the Mishkan. Others offer different reasonsfor their deaths.]
With Mitzva #152, we have an example (there areothers) of a mitzva that has a specific context andapplication from the Torah, but the scope of themitzva is much wider. The Written Word forbids aKohen from doing sacred service while havingrecently drunk wine. Sefer HaChinuch gives asecond definition for mitzva, based on the OralLaw. Namely, a halachic authority may not rendera decision (psak) while under the influence ofalcohol. (It seems that this prohibition does notapply to divrei Torah and the like only to halachicdecisions.) This prohibition is NOT a case ofRabbinic extension of the scope of Torah Law; it ispart of the Oral Law on the D’Oraita level. It isinteresting to note that the Sefer HaChinuch,whose final paragraph of each Mitzva presents itsapplicability – who, when, and where, says thatthis mitzva (152) applies to men and women in thetime of the Beit HaMikdash, that is for the first part
of the mitzva. As to the second application of themitzva, this, says the Chinuch, applies in all timesand all places, to men AND women who arequalified to render halachic decisions.
Two of the other "traditions" as to what Nadav and Avihudid wrong are that they decided a point of halacha ontheir own, in the presence of their "rebbi" (MosheRabeinu), and that they did not consult with anyone in thishalachic matter. It behooves us to learn a serious,sobering lesson (among others) from all of the possibleflaws in the actions of Nadav and Avihu. One must becareful when it comes to deciding the correct halacha foroneself and his family. Consulting a Rav is an excellent"habit” to get into.
R'vi'i Fourth Aliya 4 p'sukim 10:1215[P> 10:12 (9)] Moshe next commands Aharon,Elazar, and Itamar to eat the Minachot and parts ofthe various offerings of the day. (Some was to beeaten only by them, in the area of the Mishkan;other parts could be taken “home” and shared withtheir families.) This was an unusual com mand,since generally, kohanim who have suffered a closeloss would not eat of the sacred foods on the day ofthe burial. Nonetheless, Moshe tells them that hewas thus commanded to tell them.
Chamishi Fifth Aliya 5 p'sukim 10:1620When Moshe realizes that the CHATA’OT (sinofferings) were burned, he gets angry with Elazarand Itamar (and Aharon, says Rashi, but to avoid abrotherbrother confrontation and shaming Aharon,Moshe addresses his nephews) for not eating of thekorbanot, as they were instructed to do. Aharondefends his sons' behavior by explaining that theloss of their brothers would make a "business asusual" attitude unacceptable in Gd's eyes. Mosheaccepts Aharon's words.
Shishi Sixth Aliya 32 p'sukim 11:132[P> 11:1 (28)] Two and a half sedras devoted tosacred meat (i.e. korbanot), and now we have thepresentation of the animals we may and may noteat. There is a positive mitzva to check the signs ofkashrut of a mammal to determine its kashrut status[153, A149 11:2]. It is forbidden to eat of animalsthat lack one of the signs of kashrut (split hoof andcud chewing), and of course, those that lack both][154,L172 11:4]. The Torah names three animalsthat chew their cud but do not have split hooves the camel, shafan, arnevet, and one that has a splithoof but is not a ruminent the pig. We may not eat
their meat, and handling their carcasses rendersone TAMEI, ritually unclean.
Likewise, one is required to examine fish for scalesand fins [155,A152 11:9]. It is forbidden to eatnonkosher fish [156, L172 11:11].
With birds, the Torah lists 20 kinds of birds (notspecies, families, genus, etc. kinds) that are notkosher [157,L174 11:13]. All the rest of the birdsare kosher. So how do know if a particular bird is inone of the forbidden families or not? Usually, theanswer is TRADI TION. We eat chicken etc. becausewe have an unbroken tradition.
Finally, the Torah specifies four types (8 families) oflocust that we may eat. Checking their identities is amitzva [158,A151 11:21]. All other insects are notpermitted to us. We have lost the ability ofidentifying kosher locust, so we don't eat any ofthem. [Some Yemenites have the necessary traditions to identify the kosher varieties. As to whetherthey eat locust or not, ask your Yemenite friends.]
[S> 11:29 (10)] Next the Torah deals with theritual impurity of creeping things [159, A9711:21].
Sh'vi'i Seventh Aliya 15p'sukim 11:3347Minding the laws of "purity" of food and drink is amitzva [160,A98 11:34]. (It is one of the details ofthese laws that "requires" us to wash for karpas atthe Seder table, and in general before wet food, allthe time.)
[S> 11:39 (9)] Once again, the Torah presents therules of the carcass of animals and the resultingritual impurity from contact of various types[161,A96 11:39]. The Torah reiterates theprohibition of eating "creepy things" [162,L17611:41], as well as worms and insects that infestfruits and vegetables [163,L178 11:41], seafoodand other lifeforms that inhabit the water[164,L179 11:43], and maggots that develop inrotting food material [165,L177 11:44].
All of the above is meant to elevate the Jew's soul tothe sanctity that Gd wanted us to attain. For us,there is a direct link between body and soul, thespiritual and the mundane. The laws of kashrutbring the point home.
Haftara 40 p'sukim Shmuel Bet 6:17:17...story of Uza who touched the Aron to prevent itfrom slipping (as he perceived it) and was struckdead as a result... Parallels Nadav & Avihu...
THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTEOF JEWISH LAWRabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson #374
The Death Penalty in Halacha(part 1)
The last two lessons discussed ordination in halacha.One of the courts where judges had to be ordained isthe Lesser Sanhedrin (described in prior lessons). TheLesser Sanhedrin, consisting exclusively of ordainedjudges, had jurisdiction over cases in which thedefendant faces the death penalty. Since I mentionedthe death penalty, I think that a few lessons on thecurrent status of the death penalty in halacha is calledfor.For all intents and purposes, the State of Israel does nothave a death penalty. (The execution of Eichman wasan exception. It is a shame that the worst we could doto him under the laws of the land was to execute him.The rest is left to Hashem). But the Torah is repletewith references to the death penalty. I think that itmight be useful to explain the death penalty as itapplies in halacha in times gone by and today.The power to mete out the death penalty lapsed in theyear 30ce, namely 40 years before the destruction ofthe Holy Temple in 70ce. (See Sanhedrin 41a; AvodaZara 8b.) Capital cases can be judged by the LesserSanhedrin only when the Holy Temple is in existenceand provided that the Great Sanhedrin sits in theChamber of Hewn Stone which is on the TempleMount. The Great Sanhedrin was exiled from theChamber of Hewn Stone and was located in tendifferent places over time, the last of which wasTiberius, where it will be reestablished speedily in ourdays. These lessons deal with remedies in life anddeath situations. Rabbi Yosef Karo in Shulhan Aruchcalls this chapter “How are Those Who Are Subject tothe Death Penalty Judged at the Current Time?”Throughout these lessons I will designate Reuven asthe person who is on trial for a capital offense. TheLesser Sanhedrin that judges capital cases shall bedesignated as the “Court”. The most learned judge ofthe Court is the presiding judge. The entire Court sits ina semicircle so that its members can see each other asthey speak. In front of each Court sits three rows ofscholars/apprentice judges, who are judgesintraining.The most senior members of the 69 apprentice judgessit in the first row, and the least senior sit in the lastrow. When there is a vacancy in the Court, the firstsenior of the first row moves up to the Court, then allthose below him move up and a new apprentice judgeis added to the last row. Thus all those of who reach theCourt have had experience in cases in which thedefendant is faced with capital punishment. Each Courthas two clerks who attend the proceedings, one standsto the right of the judges and the other stands to the left
of the judges. One of the clerks records the argumentsin favor of acquittal and the other records thearguments of those who argue for conviction. Allcapital cases must be judged during the daytime onlyand the verdict must be reached during the daytime.The final verdict is reached on the second day of thetrial. Since Reuven will be executed on the second dayof the trial if he is found guilty, the trial cannotcommence on Friday or on the eve of a Holy Day,because a person who is found guilty of a capitaloffense cannot be executed on Shabbat or on a HolyDay. In a capital case, Reuven is not put on trial unlesshe was first warned by two witnesses that the act hewas about to commit entails the death penalty. He musthave been told by them, “Do not do it (the act that he isabout to commit) for if you do it you will be put todeath”; or words to that effect. If Reuven abstainedfrom doing the act then there is no crime committedand Reuven does not have to stand trial. If he remainssilent or he nodded his head, he is exonerated eventhough he did commit the act. Even if he said, “I know”he is exonerated. He only has to stand trial if afterbeing warned he immediately responded “I know fullwell the nature of the transgression and nevertheless Iwill do it.” Only if he then committed the transgressionimmediately does he have to stand trial for the offense.If he did not commit the transgression immediatelyafter the warning, he must be warned againimmediately before the act. The witnesses or otherswho saw him commit the offense tell the officer of theCourt that the offense was committed after duewarning. The matter is investigated. If there isreasonable cause to believe that he was duly warned,that he responded as stated above and committed theact, Reuven is placed on trial in the Court consisting of23 judges, with a requisite 69 judges in training sittingat their places. When the witnesses appear in the Courtthey are questioned by the judges as to whether theyactually saw Reuven being warned and thencommitting the transgression. If there is any doubt as towhether the warning was given or that they can identifyReuven as having committed the act, Reuven isreleased. Should a witness state that the warnings weregiven and they can identify Reuven as havingcommitted the transgression, they are admonished bythe judges of the Court. Admonition consists ofstatements to make certain that they know first handabout the warning and the transgression. It is explainedto them that they cannot testify on the basis of hearsaytestimony; that is, they heard the facts from a reliableperson. They are warned that they will faceexamination and cross examination by the judges, byReuven’s representatives, and by Reuven himself if heso chooses. The witnesses are told that if in a monetarycase they make a mistake, there can be restitution ofmoney; in a capital case the witnesses are accountablefor the defendant's blood forever, until the end of time.The judges tell the witness the story of Cain and Abelof which the Torah says, “the voice of your brother’sblood cries out to me”. (B'reishit 4:10). For this reasona single man was created to teach that if one destroys
but a single man it is imputed to him as if he killed theentire world. Likewise if one helps save a life it is as ifhe saved the entire world.The subject matter of this lesson is more fully discussed InVolume 1, Chapter 1 of Jewish Jurisprudence by EmanuelQuint and Neil Hecht. Copies of all volumes can bepurchased at local Judaica bookstores.Questions to [email protected]
Spiritual and Ethical Issues in theStories of Sh'motMoshe, Prince of Egypt andDeliverer of Israel [3]by Dr. Meir TamariMoshe's meeting with his brothers was marked by twoconsecutive events, both of which highlighted aspects oftheir slavery, whilst at the same evoked in him twodifferent reactions that reveal his qualities of Jewishtypeleadership.
"And he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of hisbrethren: and because of this fellowship Moshe wasmoved to strike and take revenge on the Egyptian"(Soforno, Sh'mot 2:11). According to this, the justificationfor smiting the Egyptian lay in Moshe's love for his fellowHebrews, a trait that recurs throughout his life and hasbeen seen as one of the reasons for Gd's choice of him tobe their deliverer; truly the RO'EH NE'EMAN.
It would seem to us that no further justification wasnecessary and that the obligation of a Jewish leader to killthe oppressors of Israel was an obvious and foregoneconclusion. However, our sages saw the necessity to findmoral and halakhic justice in the killing even of such aperson.
"Said Rabbi Chanina, An Egyptian who smote a Hebrewis liable to death as we see from the case of Moshe. Yet aBen No'ach is liable to death only for their 7 mitzvot, thatis, actually killing, and here he was merely beating theHebrew; furthermore the death penalty was to be at theHands of Heaven and not by human agency. Perhaps thiswas a hora'at sha'a, a temporary injunction that a bet dinhas the power to inflict, as in the Rambam HilkhotMelachim 10:7" (Torah Temima). There is a similardistinction between the din of the Egyptians and that ofAmalek. Punishment and revenge for brutality andsuffering and slavery in Egypt was prosecuted by Gd; theonly action permitted to human agency wasnonacceptance of their converts until the third generation(D'varim 23:89). On the other hand, Amalek, who aimedat our extermination, was to be eradicated by us humans(D'varim 25:19) in addition to Gd's war against Amalek(Sh'mot 17:1416)
Then there is the law of 'rodef': "One who pursues anotherto kill him, all of Israel is obligated to save theendangered one even at the risk of the life of the pursuerand this is also the law in cases of sexual immoralityexcept those involving bestiality. It is a negativecommandment not to have mercy on the pursuer just as it
is a positive mitzva to save the endangered one" (HilhkotRotzeach 1:6,9). Yosef's brothers saw him as a rodef whoendangered them and thereby justified selling him intoslavery. This din of rodef is seen as the justification forthe action of Moshe. "The taskmasters were Egyptiansand they would enter the homes of the Hebrew overseersto wake them. One of them entered the home of Datanwho had left for work and committed adultery with hisunsuspecting sleeping wife; the mother of the mekalel benish Mitzri (Vayikra 24:11). Then fearful of the reaction,he mistreated and beat the Hebrew husband in order to killhim during his work in the fields. Moshe saw that he wasliable to the death penalty both as an adulterer and as arodef who was endangering the Hebrew's life, andtherefore he smote him" (Sh'mot Rabba).
Irrespective of how they saw Moshe's actions, the sagesfelt the moral issues involved in the killing of theEgyptian by an individual, outside the framework of alegal procedure and institution. This is also shown by theirdiscussion of his further considerations and by the methodwhereby he killed the taskmaster. Once Moshe wasconvinced of his guilt: "He turned this way and that wayand saw that no man was there" (Sh'mot 2:11). He sawprophetically that no righteous people would bedescended form him which would justify not killing him[Sh'mot Rabba 1:29]. Alternatively, as Abarbanel writes,he looked around and saw that none of the people aroundthere were courageous enough to save their fellowHebrew, which then meant that it fell to Moshe, who wasgreat enough to act as an ISH in the place where therewere no ISH. "He looked around and saw that there werenone who were bothered or disturbed enough by thetroubles and sufferings of their fellow Jew, to attempt tosave him" (Tanchuma).
"How did Moshe kill him? Rabi Evyatar said with his fist,others say with the handle of a rake, [elsewhere it is heldthat the taskmaster was so overwhelmed by the presenceof the prince that he stumbled and died from the fall], andthe Rabbis taught that Moshe proclaimed the ShemHameforash and he was killed thereby" (Sh'mot Rabba1:29). According to the last opinion, in effect Moshe leftthe decision up to Divine Justice as did Yosef's brotherswhen they cast him into the pit or later sold him intoslavery.
"He looked in all directions to be sure that he wasunobserved and could dare to do the deed. This trait ofcaution in Moshe's character is of the utmost importance.While he has the deepest feeling of duty and moralobligation which makes him jump to the aid of anyinnocent person whom he sees mishandled and so justifiesthe name his adopted mother gave him, nevertheless, he isfar from that daring boldness which rushes in withoutthinking. He is far from the attractive and ineffectivedaring usually necessary for a leader to put himself at thehead of a great multitude and to urge them along withhim, to break their chains and sword in hand fight theirway to freedom from the tyrant and his power" (Rabbi S.R. Hirsch).
This underscores the whole story of our Exodus fromEgypt, that was not a slave revolt nor the achievement of asuperman liberator, but rather wholly Gd's Chesed, HisIntervention in the history of Mankind and His Lordshipover the forces of nature.
MISC section contents:[1] Vebbe Rebbe[2] Candle by Day[3] From Aloh Naaleh[4] Wisdom and Wit[5] Portion from the Portion[6] Parsha Points to Ponder[7] Torah KidBits[8] MicroUlpan[9] There’s Nowhere I’d rather be[10] From the desk of the director
[1] From the virtual desk of the OU
VEBBE REBBEThe Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions ofall types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Someof them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute forAdvanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, headed by Rav YosefCarmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRavShaul Yisraeli zt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim toserve the National Religious community in Israel andabroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU,Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the IsraelCenter. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah...
QHow much charoset should one eat along withthe maror?
AAlthough one can answer the question in astartling word or phrase, let us explain a littleabout the point of charoset before breaking the
news.
The mishna (P'sachim 114a) says: They brought beforehim matza, chazeret (maror), and charoset, and twocooked foods, even though charoset is not a mitzva. RabbiElazar b'Rabbi Tzadok says: It is a mitzva." The gemara(ibid. 116a) inquires what the point of this charoset is,according to both opinions. Let us deal with eachpossibility separately.
If charoset is not a mitzva, it is brought because of thefear of KAPPA. There are two main opinions amongRishonim as to what KAPPA is. Rashi says that it is avenomlike substance in sharp vegetables. It is neutralizedby the special taste or even smell of the charoset (seeP'sachim 115b). Rabbeinu Chananel says that it is a typeof potentially dangerous worm that grows on the chazeretand is killed by the charoset. Tosafot (115b) deals withthe issue why it is only a health hazard and not a halachicone, as it is forbidden to eat worms. One possibility theyraise is that it is the type of situation where the worm isconsidered a natural part of the vegetable and not includedin the prohibition on small creatures. Another possibilityis that the unlikelihood of KAPPA makes it halachicallyunnecessary, but they required it for health reasons
anyway. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank (Mikraei Kodesh, PesachII, 50.2) inquires why we are more concerned about theremote health concern on Pesach than we are the rest ofthe year.
According to the approach that charoset is a mitzva, thereason is as a remembrance, either of the tapu'ach tree(apparently not apple, contrary to popular opinion) or ofmortar, each having historical significance regarding BneiYisrael's stay in Egypt. Both may actually be true, asAbaye (116a) says that charoset should have both a "kickto it" because of the tapu'ach and thickness because of themortar. Because of the historical connection, theminhagim to use fruit to which Bnei Yisrael are comparedarose (see Rama, Orach Chayim 473:5).
Any way you explain its purpose, the sources do not referto a practice and certainly not a mitzva to eat the charosetalong with the maror. Rather the maror is only supposedto be dipped in the charoset. [The Rambam (commentaryto the aforementioned mishna) suggests that there was anopinion that one would make a b'racha of "al achilat(eating of) charoset". However, that is only according toRabbi Elazar, and the Rambam says there that we do notpasken like him. In his halachic work, not only does theRambam not mention the b'racha, but he refers not toeating but to dipping into the charoset (Chametz U'Matza8:8).] As a matter of fact, the gemara (115b) warns not tosubmerge the maror in charoset for too long because itmay lose its bitter taste. The Ran (ad loc.) says that sinceit is only dipped in the charoset, there is not a problem ofthe charoset nullifying the taste of the maror the way weare concerned that maror would nullify matza. Therefore,it should not be a surprise that the Shulchan Aruch (OrachChayim 475:1) says: "One must shake off the charosetfrom it [the maror]."
This is not to say that any amount of charoset on themaror endangers the validity of the maror. Tosafot(P'sachim 114a) says that since charoset was instituted tobe used with the maror, even if only for health reasons, itdoes not compromise the mitzva of maror. The ShulchanAruch also does not say to clean off the maror, just toshake off charoset, to remove significant amounts.However, one should not spoon on charoset, only dip themaror in it. (The Mishna B'rura 575:13 brings twoopinions as to whether the whole thing should besubmerged or it is sufficient to dip part of it.) If one wantsto eat the charoset in a more serious manner than tastingsome residue, he should do so during the meal or onanother day of Pesach.
Because we are not printing a separate TTfor Parshat Sh'mini, we include here theVebbe Rebbe Q&A prepared for that week.
QShould one stand during chazarat hashatz(repetition of Shemoneh Esrei)? I see thatmost people do not stand, but some people do.
Is there a right or wrong on the matter, or is it just amatter of one's personal style?
AWe will probably have to find wording that issomewhere between “should” and “personalstyle” as will be clearer after we discuss the
matter based on the sources.
The Darchei Moshe (Orach Chayim 124:1) cites anopinion (Hagahot U’minhagim) that everyone shouldstand during chazarat hashatz. [When one leans, if thelevel of his leaning is such that he would fall if the objectwere quickly removed, he is not considered standing(Ishei Yisrael 24:(66), based on Mishna Berura 94:223).]In the Rama (OC 124:4) he cites this idea, on one hand, asan opinion but, on the other hand, does not cite those whoargue. The language is of something that people areexpected to do, but it is not clear that it is an absoluterequirement, as standing is during Shemoneh Esrei itself.The Mishna Berura (124:20) explains that the reason it isthe right thing to do is that since one should listen andlistening is like speaking, one should stand as he doesduring Shemoneh Esrei. Extending the logic further, onemight conclude that one must keep his feet together, butthe major poskim do not mention this and very fewpractice it. Indeed, one can prove from many sources thatchazarat hashatz is not a duplicate of Shemoneh Esrei.
At first glance, the Rambam (Tefilla 9:3) says that duringchazarat hashatz “all are standing (omdim) and listening.”However, Yechave Da’at (V, 11) points out that from thefact that the Rama and others did not bring this as asource, it is apparent that one can understand the Rambamas referring, not to the position of the body, but tostopping activity.
The opinions behind the following summary of theconsensus of poskim vary, but the primary thrust is asfollows. The historically normative, preferred practice isto stand during chazarat hashatz unless there is goodreason not to. Clearly there were times and places wherevery respectable people and communities did not stand.Also, the matter should not be seen as an outrightobligation (see Yechave Da’at, ibid.).
Let us mention some cases where the straightforwardadvice is not to stand. If one is weak or sick (even whenthe same person can and will push himself to stand forShemoneh Esrei), he can feel free to sit (Ben Ish Chai, I,Terumah 10). If, by people standing, it encourages themto roam around and detract from their own and/or others’ability to concentrate on chazarat hashatz, it is better to sitand follow along in a focused manner (based on YaskilAvdi II, OC 2).
The case you speak of, a congregation where a clearmajority sits is a tricky situation. Is it yohara(haughtiness) and thus undesirable to stand? It appearsthat there are two related concepts. Classic yohara iswhere one does something that is a clear stringency in acontext that can be construed as haughtiness. Despite thelack of urgency to the halachic preference of standing, itis hard to consider one who stands in accordance with theRama and many others’ suggestion under that category.The other factor is al yeshane mipnei hamachloket (do notact differently than others because it can cause conflict).The gemara applies this idea, not only to cases where oneis more lenient than his surroundings, but sometimes evenwhere he is more strict than his surroundings (seePesachim 51b). If you are in a community where there isnot a sizable minority of people who stand and it is thetype of community that is (overly?) sensitive to matters ofpossible yohara, we would discourage being a trailblazerby standing.
We point out that even if one sits, he should not do sountil after the b'racha of Hakel Hakadosh, followingKedusha, and that he should stand during ModimD’rabbanan, when he is supposed to be bowing (YechaveDa’at, ibid.).
Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weeklyparsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can readthis section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org orwww.eretzhemdah.org. And/or you can receive HemdatYamim by email weekly, by sending an email [email protected] with the message:Subscribe/English (for the English version) orSubscribe/Hebrew (for the hebrew version). Please leavethe subject blank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially fundedby the Jewish Agency for Israel
[2] Candle by DayFor some, only "I deal" is ideal.
From "A Candle by Day" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
A Candle by Day • The Antidote • The World Of Chazalby Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
Now available at 0542099200
[3] CHIZUK and IDUDfor Olim & notyetOlim respectively
The parsha opens with the words TZAV ET AHARONV'ET BANAV... "Command Aharon and his sons" concerning the Olah sacrifice. Rashi, citing ToratKohanim, asks: Why does the Torah use the the termTZAV (command) rather than DABER (speak) or EMOR(say)? He answers that TZAV demands alacrity(ZERIZUT) in the performance of a mitzva and it implies1) immediacy, 2) future applicability, 3) according toRabbi Shimon, the additional element of financial loss.Since all mitzvot do, in fact, require alacrity, it isparticularly urged in the case of this mitzva because of thepotential financial loss that it involves.
The commentaries disagree about the loss that an Olahsacrifice might cause the Kohen. Ramban, in fact, deniesthat there is such a loss, for the Kohen receives the hidesof the sacrificed animals. The Maharal in Gur Aryesuggests that a loss might be incurred if the Kohen has toserve through the night and will then be unable to do hisregular work the next day. Chizkuni sees the possibilityfor loss in the fact that the Kohen must replace thesacrifice out of his own pocket if he does something todisqualify it.
The implication is that special alacrity is needed in a caseof potential financial loss, because otherwise one mightprocrastinate or hesitate to perform the mitzva. One mighteven rationalize that the mitzva is in fact unnecessary, soas not to incur the loss. Kli Yakar says that potentialmonetary loss confuses a person and leads him toimproper thoughts. We are, therefore, urged to a higherlevel of alacrity and enthusiasm in performing theseparticular mitzvot.
This lesson should not be lost to us when we contemplateAliya. As there is potential financial loss, we should
approach this mitzva with a higher level of ZERIZUT andenthusiasm to counteract the natural but undesirableeffects of thinking of potential loss, particularly whenthere is so much to gain.
Chaya Passow, JerusalemTORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naalehmembers for publication in the Orthodox Union's 'TorahInsights', a weekly Torah publication on ParshatHaShavu'a
[4] Wisdom & WitWhen he was at an advanced age, R’ Elazar MenachemMann Shach once attended a funeral. A torrential rain wasfalling, and he was not carrying an umbrella. When one ofthose present offered him an umbrella, he responded:“The man whose funeral we are attending today once gaveme a coat when we were in the subzero temperatures of aSiberian winter. Now I want to relive some of the distressI felt before receiving the coat, in order to appreciate morefully what he did for me.”
Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderful series forArtScroll: Words of Wisdom, Words of Wit; A Touch ofWisdom, 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
[5]
by Rakel BerenbaumFEEDback to [email protected]
IS CHAROSET A MITZVA?In the Talmud there is a discussion if eating charosetat the seder is a mitzva. According to one opinion itis not a mitzva in and of itself to eat charoset. Thereason we eat it is because of “KAPA” which is eitherthe poisonous effect of one of the types of chazeretor a dangerous worm. The charoset counteractsboth of these dangerous side effects of chazeret.Then there are opinions that charoset is a mitzva.We all learned in school that it is made to look likethe mortar that the Jews had to make in Egypt(Sh'mot 1:14) “They made the lives of the Israelitesmiserable with harsh labor involving mortar andbricks...” In the Yerushalmi Talmud they ask “why isit called charoset?” To remind us of the bricks thatour forefathers made, that is MA'ASEH CHARSIT awork of pottery.Others say it reminds us of the first plague of blood.Rabbi Elazar has another opinion. Charoset is amitzva and is especially made with apples to remindus of apple trees. The women went uncomplaining todeliver the Jewish babies under these trees so thatthe Egyptians would not find them. (Shir HaShirim8:5). Throughout the Pesach story, we see the
strength of the women (Miriam, Yocheved...) whohad faith that despite the terrible slavery of theirpresent existence there would come a better day, asGd had promised. They had to insure that therewould be a next generation to continue on theJewish people. The charoset then symbolizes boththe servitude (the mortar) as well as the belief andtrust in the redemption (sweetness of apples...).It reminds us of the Nashim Tzadkaniot – righteouswomen who did not give up and did not let theirhusbands give up despite what they had to endure.The Rabbis teach that it was BIZCHUT NASHIMTZADKANIYOT NIG'ALU AVOTEINU MIMIZRAYIM– because of the righteous women were weredeemed. Let us remember them when we eat thecharoset.p.s. Maybe this is why so many women are more(machmir) stringent than they need to be about thecleaning for Pesach. They would never eat in thehouse if their husbands did the Pesach cleaning astaught by the Shulchan Aruch. They are somehowfollowing in the footsteps of the righteous womenbefore them.
SEPHARDIC CHAROSET1 cup walnuts1 cup golden raisins1 cup black raisins1 cup dried apricots1 cup prunes, pitted1 cup dates, pitted1 apple, diced1 cup red wine½ tsp.cinnamon
Put all ingredients into food processor until wellblended. It should be paste like.
Keep in the fridge. We eat charoset for all of Pesachnot just at the seder. It is a great healthy treat andmay help with digesting all the matza we eat.
[6] Parsha Points to PonderTZAV
1) The first service of the day was to remove a smallamount of ashes from the previous night’s offerings fromthe altar (See 6:3). What was the purpose of this act?
2) The Korban Toda must be accompanied by both matzaand chameitz. The Korban Pesach would seem to be aToda offering, so why isn’t it eaten together with bothmatza and chameitz as well?
3) The Torah tells us that the meat of a sacrifice that willcontact any tamei (impurity) shall not be eaten (7:19).Why doesn’t the holiness and purity of the sacrificeoverpower the impure and purify it?
THESE ARE THE ANSWERSPonder the questions first, then read here
1) Rav Hirsch explains that the message of this symbolicact is that yesterday's service does not lose its relevancesimply because this is a new day. People continuouslychallenge the relevancy of the Torah to their newgeneration. The removal of some of the ashes as anofficial service the next day shows the continuity ofyesterday’s service with today’s and nothing in Torahbecomes outdated.
2) The Ktav Sofer teaches that the Korban Pesach is not aToda offering. Its purpose was not to give thanks to GD.Rather, it functioned as an offering to symbolize ourrenewed dedication to GD as His slaves. Therefore, it ismore like the inaugural sacrifices brought to dedicate theMishkan described at the end of this week’s Parsha. Thosesacrifices were accompanied by matza, but not bychametz (see 8:2) so we do the same for the KorbanPesach.
3) The Kotzker Rebbe answers that we can never be 100%certain that something which we think is pure is actuallypure. We assume that certain things are pure, but we cannever know for sure. Impurity, however, is well defined.Certain items are definitely impure and unholy. Therefore,the definitive impurity overpowers the assumed purity.This, he explains, teaches an important lesson about notassuming the pure status of anything and to always beconcerned for potential impurity.
Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi DovLipman, who teaches at Reishit Yerushalayim, Tiferet, andMachon Maayan in Beit Shemesh and RBS and is theauthor of "DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (andadults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith", justrepublished by Feldheim [email protected]
[7]
A new Torah Tidbits column with a Parshat HaShavuainsight geared towards the young reader... or their parentsand grandparents to read to them.
And Gd spoke to Moshe saying:Command Aharon and his sons The Torahthen describes the four different types ofkorbanot the sacrifices which werebrought in the Mishkan, and later on inthe Beit Hamikdash the Olah, Chatat,Asham and Shelamim. Today it is hard forus to understand the importance ofkorbanot. There is, however, one korbanwhich seems more familiar and"friendlier" the Korban Toda.
The Toda was a thanksgiving offering,
brought with great celebration and joy.One of the Shelamim the peaceofferings it was brought after havingcome safely through a dangeroussituation. If you crossed the desert or thesea; if you were released from captivity;or if you recovered from a serious illness you were to bring a Korban Toda to givethanks to Hashem for His lovingkindnessand to publicize what He did for you.
The Korban Toda meant a big meal.Cattle, sheep or goats were slaughteredand forty loaves of bread were baked.This huge amount of food had to be eatenthe day the korban was brought andfinished by the following morning. Since itwas impossible for one person, or evenone family, to finish so much food soquickly, it was necessary to invite gueststo share your meal.
Therefore, every Korban Toda became acelebration. People sat down together anddiscussed who brought the korban, why itwas brought, when did it happen, howwas the person saved? Mizmor L'Toda aPsalm of Thanksgiving was recited.Everyone rejoiced together. Whenever wefind ourselves in a dangerous situation,and whenever Hashem comes to ourassistance, we must remember to thankand to praise Him. If the Beit Hamikdashwere standing today, we would also bringa Korban Toda.
Soon we shall be celebrating Pesach. TheKorban Pesach and the Korban Toda aretwo completely different korbanot, butthey share certain things. Both must beeaten the day they are brought; both areeaten together with other people; andboth celebrate Hashem's help andsalvation. The Toda celebrates the rescueof a single Jew while the Pesachcelebrates the redemption of the entirenation.
At the seder, we will once again praiseand give thanks to Hakadosh Baruch Hufor the miracle of Yetzi'at Mitzrayim. Butwe should praise and thank him everyday for His constant miracles, help andblessings.
Chag Same'ach!
[8] There’s Nowhere I’d Rather bePeople we know recently sat shiva for their father. Theysat in Petach Tikva. There were signs on the building andnearby on the street that informed visitors that it was notnecessary to pay for the street parking. How so? Themunicipality of PT accommodates families sitting shivaby canceling payparking on the street of a shiva house forthe week. We don't know if other cities make thisarrangement, but...
[9] Divrei MenachemThere are a number of reasons for the name of ShabbatHagadol, the Shabbat before Pesach. One popularexplanation is that this particular Shabbatcommemorates one of the first mitzvot given to theJewish people. Just as one who achieves the age ofMitzvot is called "Gadol" (an adult), so is the Shabbaton which we received the mitzva of taking the lamb forthe Korban Pesach called "Gadol" (great).This first Shabbat celebrated by the Jewish people wasan expression of trust in Hashem and an open rejectionof the Egyptian gods. For, surprisingly, the Jewishslaves bound the unblemished lambs to their bedpostson Shabbat in preparation for the upcoming sacrifice.Miraculously, the Egyptian taskmasters were helplessfor 4 days.The word "Gadol" is found at the end of the Haftarareading for Shabbat Hagadol: "Lo, I will send youElijah the Prophet before the coming of the great andawesome Day of Gd." Surely, this verse encapsulatesall of Jewish destiny, reminding us that once again theJewish people and the world can look forward toredemption.One is nevertheless tempted to ask why one specificShabbat is singled out. Is one who observes ShabbatHagadol on a higher plane than he who keeps anotherShabbat? Perhaps, talking of salvation, we might recallthe famous adage of the Sages that if all of Israel wouldobserve but two consecutive Shabbatot, the redemptionwould surely come speedily and in our days.
Shabbat Shalom AND Chag Kosher V’sameach,Menachem Persoff
SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...A series of articles on Beit HaMikdashrelated topics byCatriel Sugarman intended to increase the knowledge,interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hasteningthe realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuildingof Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.
Pesach Points to Ponder!The Olei Regel Return to their Quarters
The Korbanot Pesach were slaughtered in three groups.When all the Korbanot of a particular shift were offered,the Leviyim ceased singing Hallel and the gates of theAzara were opened. Conscious of performing a greatMitzva, the Olei Regel streamed forth to their place of
accommodation in Jerusalem to join their Chavurot.Joyously marching through the streets, they carried themeat of their slaughtered lambs and goats on theirshoulders. The last Mishna in the Zevachim 5 ("EizehuMekoman") contains a brief summary of the laws ofKorban Pesach. "The Korban Pesach could be eaten onlyat (that) night (the 15th of Nisan), and only until(Halachic) midnight, and it could be eaten only by thosewho were 'preregistered' (in their Chavura at the time ofslaughter) and it only could be eaten roasted."
When the Olei Regel returned "home", they began to roasttheir Korbanot Pesach. Despite the huge crowds and tightquarters, somehow everyone managed. "No man ever saidto his fellow, 'I cannot find an oven in which to roast theKorban Pesach… " (Avot D'Rabbi Natan 35:1). TheMishna asks, "How do they roast the Korban Pesach?They bring a skewer of pomegranate wood and thrust itthrough (the animal), from its mouth to its buttocks."(Pesachim 7:1) The innards of the Pesach (that were notburnt on the Mizbei'ach) were also skewered on thepomegranate spit and roasted. The two ends of the branchwere placed in notches at the top of the oven thussuspending the lamb (or goat) above the charcoal. Afterascertaining that the body of the lamb was not touchingthe walls of the oven, they lit the fire. The Torah says,"You shall not eat it partially roasted or cooked in water:only roasted over fire… (Sh'mot 12:9). The Mishna notes,"If [the Pesach] touched the earthenware (sides) of theoven, that portion must be trimmed away." The reason isthat the trimmed away part was not directly "roasted withfire"; it was roasted indirectly by the heat of the ovenwall. Similarly, a metal spit could not be utilized for thesame reason. The meat, in direct contact with the spit,would be roasted by the intense heat of the metal, not bythe fire.
The Olei Regel observed three Mitzvot D'oraita on the eveof the 15th of Nisan.
1. MAGID They discussed in depth the story of Yetzi'atMitzrayim the Exodus from Egypt. (Sh'mot 13:3) "Andwhoever enlarges on the tale of the Exodus from Egypt,that one merits praise."
2. MATZA They ate a Kazayit (olive's bulk) of Matza(Sh'mot 12:18).
3. PESACH All members of the Chavura men andwomen were required to eat a minimum of one Kazayitof the meat of the Korban Pesach accompanied by Matzaand Maror (Sh'mot 12:8).The Korban Pesach is one ofonly two Mitzvot Asei (the other is Mila) whose willfulnoncompliance is punishable by Kareit. This emphasizesits extreme importance.
There were also a number of Mitzvot Lo Ta'asehassociated with the Korban Pesach. When the members ofthe Chavura were eating the meat of the Korban Pesach,they had to be careful not to break a bone (that still had aKe'zayit of meat on it). To minimize that possibility, ifthere were many people in the Chavura and the meat ofone small lamb would not satiate them, the Sages ruledthat the members of the Chavura bring another Korban.This special festival sacrifice was called Chagigat ArbaaAsar. The reason was that no one should be so hungry,that, in their haste to eat, they would inadvertently break abone of the Korban Pesach. The Chavura could eat its
Korban Pesach only in a building or a welldefined areaand only in Jerusalem. If a number of Chavurot wereeating their Korban Pesach in one location, a clearboundary had to separate them and the sacrificial meatcould not be removed from one Chavura to another. TheKorban Pesach had to be eaten by Halachic midnight.
The Seder, then as now, began with Kiddush, Urchatz andKarpas the sanctification and blessing over the wine,washing hands without a B'racha, and eating less than aKazayit of greens dipped in salt water with a B'racha.Then two trays were brought in one contained the bodyof the Korban Pesach and the other the body of theChagigat Arbaa Asar. To arouse the curiosity of thechildren, they were then quickly removed. The second cupof wine was poured. The Mitzva of drinking four cups ofwine on the night of the Seder as well as the singing ofHallel was considered d'Rabbanan. Today the youngestparticipant asks only four questions at the Seder. InMikdash days, there was an additional question that,B'avonoteinu Harabim, is not asked today. "On all othernights, we eat meat which is roasted, stewed, or cooked,but on this night only roasted meat." Needless to say, theroasted meat refers to the Korban Pesach and the ChagigatArbaa Asar. After Magid, the trays containing the KorbanPesach and the Chagigat Arbaa Asar were returned to thetable. They were accompanied by heaps of roundhandmade Matzot, Maror, Charoset and other foods.While eating Matza was (and is) an independent D'oraita,and eating Maror was a Torah requirement (todayd'Rabbanan) only when it accompanied the KorbanPesach. The Rambam linked them together with a singleB'racha, "… V'tzivanu Al Achilat Matzot U'merorim (Hil.Chameitz U'matza 8:6). After eating Matza and Maror, theOleh Regel recited the B'racha, "… Al Achilat Zevach,and ate from the Chagiga. Then he recited the B'racha "…Al Achilat HaPesach and ate a Kazayit of the KorbanPesach. The sweet Charoset neutralized to an extent thebitter taste of the Maror, and, while an ancient andvenerable custom, its eating was not considered a Mitzva.The great Hillel, who lived in the days of the BeitHamikdash, had a private Minhag of his own when he atehis Korban Pesach. The Hagadda reads, "This was thecustom of Hillel when the Beit Hamikdash was stillstanding. He would place some of the (meat) of thePesach, Matza and Maror together and eat themsimultaneously to fulfill what it is said, 'Upon unleavenedbread and bitter herbs shall they eat it.'" In this manner, hefulfilled the three Mitzvot Asei at the same time. Nodoubt, many Olei Regel who ascended to Jerusalememulated Hillel's example. Afterwards, the third cup ofwine was poured for Birkat Hamazon and the fourth forthe second half of Hallel. The Torah reminds us that,"You shall not leave any of it over until morning." Theremains of the Korban Pesach were burnt on the firstmorning of Chol Hamo'ed.
"So may the Lord, our Gd and the Gd of our fathers, letus live until other Festive Seasons, and holidays whichshall come to meet us in peace, happy in the building ofThy City, and joyous in Thy worship. May we eat there,the festival offerings and Korbanot Pesach, whose bloodshall reach the wall of Thine Altar, in acceptance."
Chag Kasher V'Samei'ach!
TZAVFire (upperleft) represents the fire of theMizbei’ach that was to always remain lit. If theMenora ever went out, it was relit from theMizvei’ach’s fire. Ner Tamid in shulscommemorates both the eternal lights of theMenorah and the fire of the Mizbei’ach.
The prohibition on the other side of the FireAlways coin is represented by the negation circleover the fire extinguisher (lowerright). It isforbidden to extinguish the fire of the Mizbei'ach.An example among many of a positive commandand a prohibition addressing the same issue fromboth sides.
Yes, matza; no, chametz is not just a Pesachrule. It is the rule for most Menachot, as stated inthe sedra.
Ear, thumb, big toe application of some bloodsand some oils in various rituals in the Mikdash.
Oven and frying pan two of several methods ofpreparing Menachot.
Turtle with poor spelling in Hebrew, TZAV(TZADIVET), a misspelling of Parshat TZAV.
Who knows five? Not only the books of the Torah,but the 5 ZOT TORAT... in the sedra.
The piece of chain is for the rare TROPnote,SHALSHELET, appearing 3 times in B'reishit(Vayeira, Chayei Sara, Vayeishev) and this onetime in Vayikra (Tzav).
Lamb in the doorway of the home is for ShabbatHaGadol and the taking of the Korban Pesach intothe home on the 10th of Nissan.
SHMINICALF was the first of the onetime specialkorbanot on opening day of the Mishkan...
RAM was also part of those EIGHTH DAYkorbanot.
8=8 means that the 8th day of SHMINI was the8th day of Nissan. That is one opinion. The otheropinion is that it was Rosh Chodesh, as in 8=1.
Negation circle over the wine represents the"rules of conduct" for kohanim upon entering theMikdash.
The fire is the fire that was used by Nadav andAvihu... It is a strange fire because the flamesare blue and green.
NFL helmets stand for kosher (Rams) andnonkosher (Bears) animals.
Kite is a nonkosher bird, duck (from the hockeyteam) is kosher.
Skate is nonkosher fish, pike (the arrowhead) iskosher.
Havdala candle represents the repeated theme inthe sedra that a major purpose of many of themitzvot presented is to distinguish betweensacred and profane, between tahor and tamei,etc.
The big hook, in Hebrew, VAV, is for the big VAVof GACHON.
Which leaves you with the two pictures of twospecific men. They are visual TTriddles
TTRIDDLES...are Torah Tidbitsstyle riddles on Parshat HaShavua(sometimes on the calendar). They are found in thehardcopy of TT scattered throughout, usually at thebottom of different columns. In the electronic versions ofTT, they are found all together at the end of theParshaPixTTriddles section. The best solution setsubmitted each week (there isn't always a best) wins adouble prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift(game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal.
Last issue’s (Vayikra) TTriddles:[1] Slichot, YK, AND Motza”ShSee [6] also. Both of these TTriddles relate to p'sukimfrom the haftara of Parshat Vayikra, which comes fromYeshaya 43 and 44. In the case of 44:22, MACHITICHA'AV P'SHA'ECHA... we find that pasuk quotedthroughout Slichot and in the Yom Kippur davening. Andit is in the V'YITEN L'CHA prayer of Motza'ei Shabbat.
[2] They are from all 7, but here from 1 ofthemBIKURIM are brought from the Seven Species: wheat,barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Butin Parshat Vayikra, we find the word BIKURIM in thephrase MINCHAT BIKURIM (Vayikra 2:14). Rashiteaches us that this is the OMER offering of the secondday of Pesach, which came only from one of the SevenSpecies Barley.
[3] 4 times in all of Vayikra, in one of thisweek’s p’sukimThe word for salt, which is required on all korbanot,occurs only four times in the Book of Korbanot, SeferVayikra. Those four occurrences are all in 2:12, indifferent forms BAMELACH, TIMLACH, MELACHand again MELACH.
[4] BerechBenBERECH is KNEE and BEN is SON, which gives usKNEESON or the first of the months of our year NISSAN.
[5] This week’s special connection to YomShabbatHC submitted a very fine solution set. Not perfect, but theprizewinning best for this week. He spotted this hidden"footer TTriddle", which, as you might know, refers to theissue number of TT rather than the weekly sedra. YOMSHABBAT is spelled YUD (10) + VAV (6) + MEM (40),
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subtotal 56, and SHIN (300) + BET (2) + TAV (400),sub total 702. Total 758 as in TT 758. The remarkablething about HC's TTriddle solving is that he oftenmanages to solve a TTriddle the way it should have beenpresented, rather than the way it erroniously waspresented. Case in point, the wording in last week's TTwas faulty it said YOM HASHABBAT. That extra HEIthrows of the g'matriya and less skilled and talentedTTriddlers.
[6] Slichot, Yom Kippur, and ... this Shabbat?Referred to above in the solution of TTriddle [1], thepasuk referred to here is Yeshaya 43:25 ANOCHIANOCHI... which occurs repeatedly in Slichot and in theYom Kippur davening. And, of course, on this Shabbat,meaning in Parshat Vayikra's Haftara. We forgot to askabout AL TIRA AVDI YAAKOV, which is in the haftaraand in a Z'MIRA of MOTZA"SH.
[7] It doesn’t have one, but there is a double 3words earlierEarlier, there was reference to the pasuk about MINCHATBIKURIM. The description of the barley in that pasuk isAVIV KALUI BA'EISH, roasted fresh kernels, GERESH,coarsely ground, KARMEL... The word GERESH has aMUNACH under it. Three words earlier is the wordAVIV, which has above it the TROPmark calledGERSHAYIM, a double GERESH.
[8] In the familiar form, 4 times in D’varim.Once otherwise in the Haftara.Sometimes a word or phrase jumps out of the Chumashand says, Here I am, make a TTriddle of me. Such is thephrase from the haftara of Vayikra SH'MA YAAKOV.Hits the ear as strange because of our daily recitation atleast two or three times of SH'MA YISRAEL. Turns outthat SHMA YISRAEL occurs four times in the Book ofD'varim, and nowhere else in Tanach. SHMA YAAKOVmakes only one appearance.
[9] OU Israel Committed to Torah &Mitzva, Tziyon & Yerushalayim, and KiruvL’vavot (true, but why mention it now?)This was a fun way to remind the TTreadership our ourcommitment to Torah and mitzva (why singular, why notmitzvot? You'll soon see), to Eretz Yisrael (Tziyon) andYerushalayim, and to working all over the country inKiruv, outreach, to bring Jews adults and youth closerto their Judaism. Now for the TTriddle. Why mention theabove now, and what makes it a TTriddle? It is another,more elaborate, "footer" TTriddle. Check out thesenumeric values:
Torah u'mitzva = 611 (that's Torah, we should all knowthat one) + 6+40+90+6+5 (147). Total, 758, the TT issuenumber last week. TZIYON is 90+ 10+6+50 (156),Yerushalayim is 10+200+6+ 300+30+10+40 (596), add toget 752 and add 6 more fore the connecting VAV inTZIYON VIRUSHALAYIM. And if you were to object toour using a second YUD in Yerushalayim, when inTanach, it is spelled without that YUD. This is so foralmost 650 times in Tanach that Yerushalayim ismentioned. But there are three times in Tanach (includingonce in Megilat Esther) that Yerushalayim is spelled with
the second YUD.And, of course, countless placed in ourliterature that it is spelled with that second YUD. Just asan example, searching MISHNA revealed 86 times thename Jerusalem occurs, not once without that secondYUD. Almost 500 times in Talmud Bavli, with about 50more without the YUD...
This weeks TTriddles:[1] tcheloniya[2] for us, it fits; for some, it duplicates[3] Plain: Big; Big; Regular or special[4] animal, vegetable, nourished by mineralsnot 20 questions, but ...how many?[5] 2 elements from the Shmini ParshaPix#####The first rule of looking good: Don't sneezewhile someone is cutting your hair#####You can learn a lot about paranoid peoplejust by following them around. from 1001 smiles
PESACH MATERIALPesach this 'n thatWe stop asking for TAL U'MATAR after Mincha on ErevPesach. We continue to say MASHIV HARUACH inMaariv and Shacharit of the first day of Pesach. Then wesay T'FILAT TAL and from Musaf of the first day ofPseach, we will be saying MORID HATAL. And atMaariv following Yom Tov, we will begin saying V'TEINBRACHA in the weekday Amida.
If one mistakenly says MASHIV HARU’ACH U'MORIDHAGASHEM [G] once we stop saying it, the Amida isconsidered invalid and must be repeated. Catching oneselfwithin the second bracha of the Amida, requiresbacktracking to the beginning of that bracha and sayingfrom there ATA GIBOR... Forgetting MORID HATAL(but not saying [G] either) does not require repeating oreven returning to say it.
First Day of PesachFirst Torah five people, 31 p'sukim Sh'mot 12:2151(Parshat BO)
This portion is the continuation of what we read onShabbat HaChodesh. It contains the actual procedures tobe followed in the bringing of the Korban Pesach, theaccount of the night of the 10th plague, the Exodus, theExodus Matza connection, reference to Leil Shimurim,and mitzvot related to K.P.
Second Torah Maftir, 10 p'sukim Bamidbar 28:1625(Pinchas)
Contains the Korban Musaf of Pesach. Begins with
Korban Pesach on the 14th and repetition of the "comand"to eat matza for seven days.
Haftara: 15 p’sukim
Yehoshua 5:26:1
The Torah tells us of Pesach Mitzrayim, and then of thefirst annual Pesach. After that, KP was not brought for theduration of the time in the Midbar. The haftara tells of themass circumcision at Gilgal of the males who were belowmilitary age when we came out of Egypt and those born inthe Midbar. Following the Mila (which is a prerequisite ofKP), the first Pesach in Eretz Yisrael was observed. TheManna ceased and the new People of Israel ate from theharvest of the Land for the first time. Yehoshua meets anangel and is about to begin preparations for battle againstYericho, the first step in conquering the Land.
2nd day (1 Chol HaMoed)First Torah 3 people, 52 p'sukim Vayikra 22:2623:44(EMOR)
The bulk of the reading is The Festival Portion, chapter 23in Vayikra. It deals with the entire cycle of holidays, all ofwhich revolve around Pesach, all of which in some waycommemorate the Exodus. The reading contains themitzva of the Omer which was brought on the second dayof Pesach. Perfect timing. The Festival Portion is preceded by several p'sukim that deal with sacrifices andwith the mitzvot of Kiddush HaShem. Reference is madeto Gd's taking us out of Egypt definitely part of thereason for "adding" this to the Festival portion.
Second Torah 4th Aliya, 7 p'sukim Bamidbar 28:1925(Pinchas)
Contains just the Musaf of Pseach, without the first 3p'sukim read on the first day only.
3rd day (2 Chol HaMoed)First Torah three people, 16 p'sukim Sh'mot 13:116(Parshat BO)
This is the continuation of the reading of the first day ofPesach. It consists of the two parshiyot known asKADEISH and V'HAYA KI Y'VI'ACHA, which join thefirst two portions of the Sh'ma as the four parshiyot inT'filin. The reading contains the mitzvot of the sanctity offirstborns, which derives from the events in Mitzrayim.Extensive reference to Pesach is also found here.
2nd Torah 4th Aliya, same as day 2
4th day (3 Chol HaMoed)First Torah three people, 26 p'sukim Sh'mot 22:2423:19(MISHPATIM)
This portion contains many mitzvot including thoserelated to the Three Festivals. The opening mitzvot of thisportion deal with Tzedaka. This is particularly appropriatein light of the practice of KIMCHA D'PISCHA, pro
viding for the Pseach needs of the poor.
2nd Torah 4th Aliya, same as day 2
5th day (4 Chol HaMoed) Shabbat CholHaMoedMany shuls have the custom of reading Shir HaShirimbefore Torah reading on Shabbat Chol HaMoed. When itis read from a kosher megila scroll, AL MIKRA MEGILAand SHE'HE' CHE'YANU are said. The love between Gdand Israel is the theme of Shir HaShirim. That love wasforged in Egypt (and earlier, from the time of the Avot &Imahot).
First Torah 7 people, 38 p'sukim Sh'mot 33:1234:26 (KITISA)
Who knows 13 Thirteen are the MIDOT of Gd. This isthe main theme of the reading of Shabbat Chol HaMoed.In the aftermath of the Sin of the Golden Calf, MosheRabeinu asks Gd to allow him to know Him (Gd) moreintimately. Gd will not allow that completely, for this isimpossible for any human being, but He will show Moshemore of Himself (so to speak) than anyone else wouldever see. Gd then commands Moshe to cut newLUCHOT and write upon them that which was written onthe first set, that you broke. Gd forgives the People,sends Moshe back to them with the new LUCHOT, andwith the special knowledge of the YUDGIMMELMIDOT, which the people of Israel are to use in prayer,and some of whose traits, we are to emulate.
This is followed by a review of the three major Chagim,including mitzvot related to Pesach.
2nd Torah MAFTIR, same as day 2
Haftara: 14 p’sukim Yechezkeil 37:114
This portion of the NAVI is the famous prophecy of theValley of the Dry Bones. In his vision, the NAVI seesbones gradually get covered with sinew, flesh, and skin.Then Gd tells Yechezkeil to prophesy in His name to theinert bodies that Gd will bring to them the breath of lifeand they will live. The message to Yechezkeil (and all ofus) is that the Jewish Nation, scattered in Exile among thenations of the world, are like those dry bones. But they arenot gone and forgotten. They will have the breath of Gdbreathed into them and they will return to life activespiritual, religious life. This prophecy is also aboutT’CHIYAT HAMEITIM.
There are connections between this Haftara and Pesach ingeneral. But one can also see a connection to the Torahreading specific to Shabbat Chol HaMoed. After the Sinof the Golden Calf, the people were on the verge ofextinction, but for the intercession of Moshe Rabeinu onour behalf. The 13 Midot represent the restoration of lifeto the generation of the Midbar. In that way, the Haftarafits.
Shabbat Mincha 3 people, 16 p'sukim
As usual for Shabbat Mincha, we read the first part of theupcoming Parshat HaShavu’a SH'MINI
6th day (5 Chol HaMoed)First Torah 3 people, 14 p'sukim Bamidbar 9:114(B'HAALOT'CHA)
This portion deals with the first (and only) Korban Pseachbrought in the Wilderness. It also contains the mitzvot ofPesach Sheni.
2nd Torah 4th Aliya, same as day 2
7th day of PesachFirst Torah 5 people, 63 p'sukim Sh'mot 13:1715:26(B'SHALACH)
This reading is the continuation of the reading from thefourth day, which was a continuation of the first day,which was a continuation of the Maftir of Shabbat ParshatHaChodesh. This portion contains the events immediatelyfollowing Y'tzi'at Mitzrayim, mainly the Splitting of theSea the drowning of the Egyptians, and the Song of theSea AZ YASHIR. Our tradition is that it was on the 7thday of Pesach that we crossed Yam Suf.
2nd Torah Maftir, same as day 2
Haftara: 51 p’sikim 2 Shmuel 22:151
This chapter is the Song of King David. It is written inexactly the same special style as AZ YASHIR is writtenin a Torah scroll. The haftara for the final day of Pesach isthe exultant hymn of thanksgiving to Gd. One gets thesense, when following Torah with this Haftara, ofB'CHOL DOR VADOR in every generation...
Who Should Sing the Mah Nishtana this Year?by Rabbi Avi BaumolProfessor Daniel Goldshmidt (1) says that it was never theintention of the child to ask MA NISHTANA; rather itwas the job of the leader of the Seder, and the meaningwas like KAMA how different this night is from anyother. The Mishna in Pesachim (10:4) records thefollowing — they pour the second cup of wine and herethe child asks and if the child does not ask the fatherteaches them, MA MISHTANA...
From the stories in the Talmud (Pesachim 116 a and b),Goldshmidt learns that it was clearly a paternalresponsibility to teach the differences of the night to thenext generation.(2) This runs counter to an age oldtradition (found in an early Hagada in Machzor Romania)of the youngest child to sing the MA MISHTANA in frontof all the family. What’s wrong with keeping the oldtradition? Why revert the MA MISHTANA back to thefather? It appears that there was a clear directive given toparents to transmit to their children. We parents have to
teach our children the story of Pesach, but in a world ofBarney, Rugrats, and Sesame street videos of Pesach, howcan we teach our children anything new?
The fulfillment here is to act in order that the child asks.We generally parent our children in one of two ways.
1. We tell them things.
2. We show them things leading them to draw theirown conclusions.
Generally the things we tell them they either reject or donot internalize. What we do, however, that piques theircuriosity. The annoying thing is that our kids never miss abeat. They are there when we falter, when we areinconsistent and also when we shine. Usually thequestions come from the inconsistencies, since they areused to the habitual acts (though they would have askedabout them too at the initial conception). We who try to begood parents to our kids often ignore our children’scuriosity and relegate their questions to another time oranother person.
What’s interesting is that when we view the father sonrelationship as a metaphor for God and the children ofIsrael — BANIM ATEM L’HASHEM ELOKEICHEM,we find the same developments, and we find ourselvesasking God about things that seem inconsistent in Hisbehavior towards us. Generally when that act leads tonegative consequences, we look up and wonder at God’sways. We certainly hope that God does not evade ourconcerns the same we way evade our children.
Pesach forces us to emulate a GODLIKE experience. Wemust act in a way that our children will see the importanceof this night, and when they ask us about it we better beready to answer it. At the very least on Pesach night wemust show our kids that we are there for them; we willteach in speech and action, attempting to transmit to themthe essentials of the Pesach experience. The problem is,how do we do that today?
Modern day seders lose that dimension of exploration,curiosity, creativity. Our job as parents is to restore it.
Rabbi Soloveitchik once wrote of the responsibility theparent has to each child based on their own intellectualcapacity. Hence a message of four sons; for the brightestone the parent must be brighter and more prepared withideas that entice their developing minds. For the simpleone the ideas must have a clarity and simplicity as topenetrate their minds.
As for the remaining two sons the task becomes morecomplex. For the child who cannot ask, it is not that he isan infant, but that for reasons that contemporarypsychologists like to attribute acronyms to describe them,the children simply cannot learn or process in the samecognitive manner as other children. For them, muchcreativity should be used by the parent. Visual aids, dramatherapy, singing, and other types of learning techniquesshould be invoked.
Then comes the rebel. In the eyes of the Hagada he iscalled a RASHA, nevertheless as many have pointed outthat the child is sitting at the seder but is unwilling tolisten and learn. The author of the Hagadah has oneapproach — HIKHA ET SHEINAV, break his teeth, lethim know in a passionate and severe manner that this
attitude would not have earned him redemption. Todaythere are many ways parents deal with children who rejecttheir lifestyle but nevertheless cling to certain traditionaldays and events.
The point of this essay is not to offer every solution todifficult parenting issues; it is to charge parents to dohomework for the upcoming festival. Knowing ourchildren, learning their interests and what excites them,we can channel our efforts towards piquing those interestsaround the Seder table. In this manner we will truly meritfulfilling the Mishnaic and Biblical mandate to educateour children, enlighten them about yet another facet of thePesach experience and most importantly let our ownactions be a model for our children to follow, passing thetorch from one generation to the next.
This Pesach let us act towards our children in the exactmanner we would want our Father in heaven to acttowards us; to know our children, anticipate their needs,act in a way which will pique their curiosity and respondto all the questions they direct to us concerning Pesach,Gd, the world and everything in between.
(1) The Passover Haggadah Its Sources and History.Bialik Institute 1960, Jerusalem, page 10
(2) Pages 10 and 11. there he surmises that due to theconnection between the MIshna’s statement SHOALINZEH LA’ZE with the following Mishna starting with Ma
Nishtana it was erroneously relegated to the children’srole. See there.
Seder TidbitNot only is matza a twosided symbol (see Lead Tidbit),representing slavery and freedom at the same time, so aremost of the Seder items. E.g. Salt water tears and YamSuf. Egg mourner's food (commemorative of theChurban) and Yom Tov, as in the name of the Mishnayotthat deals with Yom Tov Masechet Beitza. Karpas meager food scraps, luxurious appetite stimulator. And itgoes on...
The Torah Tidbits guide to EarlyShabbat is a separate PDF file
Chassiyot believes that the mitzva of Tzitzit is enhancedwhen fulfilled with a real fourcornered garment, not arectangle of cloth with a hole in it. Check out theChassiyot PDF file www.ou.org/pdf/tt/5767/chassiyot.pdf\