Tammuz 26, 5780 / July 17-18, 2020
Parashat Mattot - Mas'ei
Torah: Numbers 30:2 - 32:42 (Chazak!)
Haftarah: (Ashkenazim) Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4. (Sephardim) Jeremiah 2:4-28; 4:1-2
Torah: Numbers 30:2 - 32:42 (Chazak!)
Haftarah: (Ashkenazim) Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4. (Sephardim) Jeremiah 2:4-28; 4:1-2
Candle lighting: 7:45 pm
Links to all of our on-line activities can be
found below.
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend,
and please cite the source.
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KOSHER
WORDS, KOSHER THINGS
"If
a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath prohibiting something to
himself, he shall not profane his word; all that has come from his mouth he
must do." Numbers 30:3
”Any articles
that can withstand fire, you shall pass through the fire, and they shall be
pure, except that they shall be purified with the water of sprinkling (water
imbued with red heifer ashes); and that which cannot withstand fire you
shall pass through the water." Numbers 31:23
Vows
and oaths have extraordinary power - they can turn ordinary objects into things
of holiness or prohibition. "I hereby vow to donate this silver cup to the
synagogue"; "By my oath, I will not eat meat for six months" -
these words have transformative effect over mundane things. This is why
Jewish tradition frowns on the recitation of vows and oaths.
Changing
the (ritual) nature of objects is accomplished either by words, according to
the first verse, or by kashering, making them fit to use, as
stated in the later verse. What about the converse? What happens
if you profane your word?
If an
object is kosher, and is used only for kosher purposes, it remains
kosher. If it is defiled, it requires an elaborate process of kashering.
Similarly, if you want to retract a vow, the rabbis devised a ritual for doing
so. If you have already violated your word, you must do teshuvah - the steps of
repentance. Just as it is far easier to maintain the kashrut of an object
by not defiling it, so is it easier to maintain the purity of our words by
fulfilling them (or not uttering them in the first place!).
So
perhaps it is not coincidental that the Hebrew word for "things" and
the Hebrew word for "words" is the same word - "devarim". Our
words have meaning and power that are tangible. Be a person of
your word.
Peace
and blessings. Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi
Richard A. Flom
.הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who
is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben
Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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Join
our Kabbalat Shabbat Service, with Reb Jason Van Leeuwen and
Rabbi Flom this Friday evening at 6:30 pm PDT at:
Downloadable
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For the time being, we will not be posting separate videos of Torah and Haftarah readings.
For the time being, we will not be posting separate videos of Torah and Haftarah readings.
Join
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the Jews of Israel and the Middle East" with David Silon
at:
Join
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a 60 minute study session. We're learning the weekly haftarah. Join us
at:
Study materials for Lunch and Learn for Tuesday, July 21 are available at:
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