1 Nisan
5776 / 8-9 April 2016
Parashat Tazria (Shabbat
Rosh Chodesh - Shabbat Hachodesh)
TorahReading
Torah
Seventh Aliyah (Shabbat
Rosh Chodesh): Numbers 28:9-15
Maftir (Shabbat
Hachodesh): Exodus 12:1 - 20
Haftarah (Shabbat
Hachodesh): Ezekiel 45:16 - 46:18 (Ashkenazim); 45:18 - 46:15 (Sephardim);
Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and
other info about Congregation Beth Meier, check out:
The Rabbinical Assembly’s Pesach Guide 5776 can be read and
downloaded at the following site:
Additional Pesach resources from the Rabbinical Assembly may be found at:
My annual Pesach Guide – 5776 Edition (Revised), is available at my blog:
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source
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THOU SHALT NOT EAT UP THY
NEIGHBOR
"If a person has in the skin of the body a swelling, a rash, or a bright spot, and it is in the skin of the flesh like the plague of tzara'at, the matter shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests." Leviticus 13:2
Throughout this week’s and next week’s portions, the Torah describes "tzara'at", usually mistranslated as "leprosy". It does not appear to be any known physical disease. The Talmud says that "metzora", "leper", is really an acronym for "motzi shem ra" - "one who brings forth a bad name", i.e., a slanderer (slander is "lashon hara" - literally, "an evil tongue"). The Rabbis taught that tzara'at was inflicted by God as punishment for slander, and could not be cured by physicians.
Rabbi Israel Salanter, the founder of the Mussar (Ethics) movement, notes that last week's parashah listed the various animals, fish and birds which are forbidden and those which are permitted to be eaten. He then teaches the following:
"The reason for this juxtaposition (between food and tzara'at) is because people are more concerned about not eating non-kosher food than they are about 'eating up' a person through lashon hara. Thus we learn that 'eating up' a person is no less a sin than eating a worm."
If only it were still true that most Jews cared about kashruth! Even if it were so, Rabbi Salanter is being gentle. If one violates the laws of kashruth, one can atone at a later date, seek and receive God's forgiveness, and observe kashruth again. But if one engages in lashon hara, the Rabbis taught, it is like murder, for which there is no atonement - just like the dead person, the murdered reputation of a slander victim can not be brought back to life.
Forget about eating worms!
We ought not engage in lashon hara anymore than we would cannibalism! What
comes out of your mouth can be more deadly than what goes in.
Sh'mor et halashon - Guard your tongue!
Shabbat Shalom. Chodesh Tov.
Sh'mor et halashon - Guard your tongue!
Shabbat Shalom. Chodesh Tov.
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Congregation Beth Meier - Studio
City , CA
Website: http://bethmeier.org/
Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/
"From the place where we are absolutely right, flowers will never grow
in the spring."
"מן המקום
שבו אנו צודקים לא יצמחו לעולם פרחים באביב"
Yehuda Amichai
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Candlelighting: 7:01 pm
Friday: Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30
pm. Rabbi Flom will be away. Thanks to Warren and Melinda Traumann for
conducting the service. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday: Shabbat morning service – 10:00 am. Rabbi
Flom back. Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday: Religious School
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon
Friday, 15 April: Shabbat Evening
Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday, 16 April: Shabbat morning
service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday, 17 April: Religious School
Tuesday, 19 April: Lunch and
Learn – 12:00 noon
Saturday, April 23: Congregation Beth Meier Community
Second Seder – 7:00 pm. Reservations Required! Deadline for
reservations: Thursday, April 14.
Next time you come to Beth Meier, please bring some
non-perishable canned and packaged foods and personal items (no glass) for
SOVA.
This d'var torah is offered in honor of my wonderful
wife, Lynn Kronzek, celebrating her birthday on Friday, April 8. Yom huledet
sameach, my dear! Ad meah v’esrim!
This d'var torah is offered in honor of my aunt, Helen
Schugar, celebrating her 90th birthday on Friday, April 8. Ad meah
v’esrim!
This d'var torah is offered in memory of Peter Chernack,
who passed away on Sunday. May his memory be a blessing to his wife Rebecca,
his daughters Michelle and Daniela, and all his friends and relatives.
This d'var torah is offered in memory of my
father-in-law, Abraham Kronzek, whose yahrzeit falls on Shabbat, 1 Nisan. Y’hi
zikhro liv’rakhah.
This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah
for Yaakov Rani Ben Margalit, Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben
Bella, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Ken
Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat
Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint (Eliezer
Moshe ben Esther), Jerry Forman, Stephanie Kane, Philip Kovac,
Suzanne Rosenthal (Sima Devorah bat Chanah), and Deborah Schugar Strauss
(Devorah bat Chaya Feiga).
Please let me know if there is anyone you would like to
add to this list or if there is anyone who may be removed from this list.
My weekly divrei torah are available through free subscription to
the Cyber Torah e-mail list. No salesman will call!
Cyber Torah list management:
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