This week’s Parsha is Parshas Emor. One must be careful not to become spiritually unclean from a dead body since they must be spiritually pure to be able to prepare to eat from the korbon. A Kohen may become spiritually unclean for the “Seven relatives”- father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, wife and someone who dies with no one to bury him. A Kohen cannot marry a woman who is divorced or a woman who married someone who she was not allowed to.
Shabbat Shalom! Have a Good Shabbos!
We celebrate Lag BaOmer on the day Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohoi died. Before he died, he hid in a cave for twelve years with his son, Rabbi Elazer where they studied Torah day and night. During this time of study they also created a book called The Zohar (Kabbalah) Which revealed some of the secrets in the Torah. A person is not allowed to study the Zohar if one had not studied the Torah, Talmud, Shulchan Aruch and all the commentaries. If one has studied these then they may study the Zohar. When the Romans found out that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohoi was hiding and was learning with a candle, they went out on a search for Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohoi’s fire but when they went out to search all the jews had lit fires to confuse the Romans so they wouldn’t be able to find him. This is why some people light Bonfires as a custom on Lag Baomer.
One of the birds is slaughtered over spring water, showing that one hopes that the צרעת (leprosy) will stay dead and away. The second bird is dipped in the water along with the other things, and then the צרעת (leprosy) and the bird are sent away, but the צרעת (leprosy) could return just like the bird might return.
The מטהר now cuts all his hair and washes his clothing and himself in a Mikvah. After seven days he must repeat. On the 8th day the מטהר must bring an offering with oil and the Kohen places some blood of the offering and the oil of the מטהר‘s right ear, thumb, and foot forefinger.
This weeks parsha is parshas Shmini. On the eighth day when the kohanim and the mishkan were being prepared for service ,Nadab and Abihu brought incense on the Golden Altar without any permission. Moshe and aharon asked Hashem to send a fire down. Hashem sent a fire and the fire killed Nadab and Abihu instantly.After they were killed aharon did not complain but instead he kept queit about what happened a Hashem rewarded him by teaching him new halachot.
The signs of a kosher animal are:
- The animal must have split hooves
- The animal must chew it's cud
- The fish must have fins
- The fish must have scales
Shabbat Shalom! Have a Good Shabbos!
1) Why is the 1st part of the Haggada in Aramaic?
Because in מגיד (Reciting of the Passover story) in the Haggada it says “All who are hungry let them come and eat”, we didn’t want the Egyptians to “come and eat”.
2) Why on the day of our freedom do we have to admit that we were a slave at one point?
3) Until when do we say קריאת שמע?
Forever, even after Moshiach comes.
4) Why do we say קריאת שמע even after moshiach comes?
Because even though we will have bigger miracles by moshiach we still have to remember the miracles of Egypt which are compared to the miracles of moshiach will be smaller. This teaches us that anything good someone does for us—big or small---we must always remember.
5) After the story of Rabbi Elazar the son of Azariah it says בורך המקום which means “bless Hashem” but why is Hashem referred to as a מקום which means “place”?
Hashem is everywhere and in every place. That’s why Hashem is referred as aמקום “place”.
6) What is the point of reading Chad Gadya?
To teach you that Hashem has plans for everything and everyone, and runs the world.
7) Why didn’t the Haggada bring the story of Haman and Amaleik?
The war of Amaleik has not ended and is still going on.
8) Why do we only have four cups?
The four cups stand for the four words of redemption, והוצאתי (And I will take out), והצלתי (And I will save), וגאלתי (And I will redeem), ולקחתי (And I will took out)
Order of the SederThis weeks Parsha is Parshas Tzav, also called Shabbot Hagadol. It is called Shabbot Hagadol because a miracle happened on this day. Hashem commanded The Jews to take a lamb and tie it to their bed, After four days they should kill the animal and roast it. The miracle of this is that the Egyptians worshiped lambs and they did not even say a word about what the Jews are doing
Shabbat Shalom! Have a Good Shabbos!
Hashem's Prophecy to Balaam was introduced by ויקר (Vayikra without an Alph).While Hashem's Prophecy to Moshe was introduced by ויקרא (Vayikra with an Alph).There is a question that is asked why is the word ויקרא spelled in the Torah with a small Alph ? The Baal Ha Turim explains that after the fact that Hashem instructed Moshe to write an Alph as an expression of affection, Moshe humbly wrote a small Alph. Furthermore Rabbi Buam of P'schishca explains that Alph means to teach, Thus implying that one should learn to always be small and humble like the small Alph.
Shabbat Shalom! Have a Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Loeberbaum of Lisa (d. 1832), the author of Nesivos Hamishpat, says even without bowing down to idols or offering to them sacrifices, merely declaring certain things to be as a result of one’s own work or power is considered heretical idolatry. He explains that this is the understanding of the exegesis in the Talmud which states that King David desired to commit idolatry until Chushai stopped him; in reality, David merely wanted to attribute his military victories to his own strength and not G-d’s help. This is the meaning behind the juxtaposition of Deuteronomy 8:17, “And you shall say in your heart, ‘my might and the strength of my hand, made me all this fortune’”, to the warning against committing idolatry and straying after false lords. Assuming that one’s success is a result of his or her own toil and perseverance is denying the power of G-d and (heaven forbid) declaring Him secondary in the natural flow of the world. Therefore, attempting to achieve as much wealth, honor, or pleasure as possible can also be classified as a type of idolatry for it implies that it is within an individual’s ability to accomplish such a task unaided by divine intervention.
Shabbat Shalom! Have a Good Shabbos!
