Parashat Acharei Mot
29 Nisan 5776 / 6-7 May 2016
Torah: Leviticus 16:1 – 18:30
Haftarah: 1 Samuel 20:18-42 (Machar Chodesh)
Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar
of events and other info about Congregation Beth Meier, check out: http://bethmeier.org
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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EVIL INCLINATIONS
“And he will take from the congregation of the Children of
Israel two kids of goats for a sin offering …” Leviticus 16:5
Rabbi Israel Salanter (founder of the Mussar movement)
taught that there are two kinds of yetzer hara (evil inclination): 1. that
which comes from bodily lust; and, 2. that which entices a person to sin as an
act of defiance. He cites a teaching from the Talmud (Berakhot 54), which says
that the unusual Hebrew formation in the Sh’ma of “with all your heart” (b’khol
l’vav’kha instead of b’khol libekha, two “beits” instead of one) means that we
can and should use the first type of yetzer hara in combination with our yetzer
hatov (good inclination) for good purposes – e.g., utilizing one’s lust for
power to channel it into accomplishing much for the benefit of society. On the
other hand, with regard to the second type of evil inclination, that of
defiance, one should flee as far as possible from it.
The commentary Tzvi Yisrael says that Rabbi Salanter’s
teaching is borne out by the two kids that are the sin offerings of Yom Kippur.
Regarding the evil inclination coming from lust, Lev. 16:9 says, “Aaron will
sacrifice the goat”, meaning this evil inclination must be channeled into
service of God. Concerning the other kid, representing the evil inclination of
defiance of God, Lev. 16:10 says it must “go for a scapegoat into the
wilderness” – one must drive it away and stay as far as possible from it. (From
Itturei Torah)
The difficult part of all this is recognizing which evil
inclination we are dealing with. For that, we must really know ourselves – and
that is what Mussar (ethical self-discipline) and cheshbon hanefesh (accounting
of the soul) are all about. Who says that Yom Kippur only comes once a year?
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: 7:23 pm
Friday: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat
follows.
Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch
follows.
Sunday: NO Religious
School
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, 13 May: Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30
pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday, 14 May: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am.
Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday, 15 May: Religious
School
Sunday, 22 May: Religious
School and Congregational Cook-out – Beeman Park
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 for a refuah shleimah
for Yaakov Rani Ben Margalit, Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben
Bella, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Scott
Beatty, 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, Carolynne Lavoie-Schwartz, 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:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from
the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with
the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail
from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with
the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.
To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of
a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an
e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with
the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.
