CHARITY DELIVERS FROM DEATH

Parashat Tazria (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh - Shabbat Hachodesh)

Nisan 1, 5782 / April 1-2, 2022

Torah Reading: Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59

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)

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Community Second Seder! In Person! (And virtual). And Seder Meals To-Go! For more info, go to: 

https://bnaihayim.org/passover/ 

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PESACH IS COMING!

My 5782 Pesach Resources - Pandemic Edition #2 is available at: 

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2022/03/pesach-resources-5782-pandemic-edition-2.html 

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This d'var torah is offered in memory of my father-in-law, Abraham Kronzek, whose yahrzeit falls on this Shabbat, Nisan 1. Y'hi zikhro barukh - his memory is a blessing.

This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Feigel bat Kreina and D'vorah bat Feigel.

Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about becoming a Chaver and our various programs, at: https://bnaihayim.org/  

Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We’re continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya’akov. On April 5, we'll be at pages 25-26  (my pagination) of Chapter 5 of BT Berakhot (34b) - "...אמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן" - "R. Chiya b. Abba in the name of R. Jochanan said:...” The reading may be found at: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18naYXIfd37WqagfJ5UfJoH84amqt2-tA/view?usp=sharing 

Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you can read here: 

https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/tazria/ 

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source. 

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CHARITY DELIVERS FROM DEATH

“And the person with tzara’at, in whom there is affliction, his clothes shall be torn, his hair shall go uncut, and he shall cover over his lips; and ‘Contaminated!  Contaminated!’ he will call out. All the days the affliction is in him, he will be contaminated, he is contaminated; he will dwell in isolation, his dwelling will be outside the camp.” Leviticus 13:45-46

This week’s parashah, Tazria, along with next week's, Metzora, together describe a disease called “tzara’at”, which is usually but incorrectly translated as “leprosy”. These readings, along with rabbinic tradition, indicate that disease was often regarded as coming from God - as a test or as punishment. This would imply that trying to cure people would be interfering with God’s will. This is the attitude taken by, for example, many Christian Scientists, who rely on prayer rather than doctors.

But the Jewish response is different. The Torah teaches that the “metzora” (the "leprous" person, who the Rabbis say is guilty of being a “motzi shem ra” – the one who brings forth a bad name, i.e., slander) can indeed be cured – if the sick person follows the instructions of the Torah and the presiding priest, including identifying himself as guilty of the sins of slander and/or gossip. The Torah says elsewhere, “… you shall surely heal him.” (Exodus 21:19) This, our rabbis say, gives permission for doctors to practice medicine - even though we've just said above that disease "comes from God". The verse further teaches that we have a positive obligation to care for our health – and the health of others – particularly when it is a matter of life or death. This idea is called “pikuach nefesh” – literally, saving a soul. Here, the metzora is saving his/her own soul.

There’s an interesting passage indirectly about pikuach nefesh in the Talmud at BT Shabbat 156b. In a discussion about astrology, both Rabbi Akiva and Samuel (another rabbi of a preceding generation) share stories and teach that “charity (tzedakah) delivers from death” (quoting Proverbs 10:2 and 11:4). The initial teaching seems to be that the subjects of the stories were saved from astrologically predicted deaths because they gave charity to others. But a deeper reading shows that their charity resulted in saving the lives of the recipients of their charity.

Tzedakah (charity) box

I was reminded of this once when I was donating platelets at the blood bank. For about a year, every time I had donated, I had seen the same man, also a donor. He appeared to be homeless, or at least quite poor. In our conversation, he said that he donates every two weeks, the maximum allowed. He does not do it for money – that is prohibited by law. He does it, he said, because a woman in Baltimore, who needs platelet transfusions to live, is a perfect match for his platelets. “How could I not do this?” he told me.

Clearly, his charity is delivering another human being from death. And if it does nothing to raise him out of poverty, it is delivering his soul to the highest possible elevation. When we donate to charity, whether it's blood or money or food, we save the lives of others and our own souls.

Shabbat Shalom! Chodesh Tov!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier

Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/

Visit me on Facebook

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

THE ORDER OF THE TORAH

Adar Hasheni 23, 5782 / March 25-26, 2022
Parashat Sh'mini – Shabbat Parah
Torah: Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47

Maftir: Numbers 19:1-22 (Shabbat Parah)

Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38 (Ashkenazim - Shabbat Parah); Ezekiel 36:16-36 (Sephardim - Shabbat Parah)

Mevarkhim Hachodesh (Blessing of the New Month)

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Installation of Rabbi Jason van Leeuwen (Reb Jason) as Rabbi/Spiritual Leader of Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier this Sunday, March 27, 2022, at 7:00 PM. For more info, go to:

https://bnaihayim.org/rabbi-installation/ 

 

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Community Second Seder! In Person! (And virtual). And Seder Meals To-Go! For more info, go to: 

https://bnaihayim.org/passover/ 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

PESACH IS COMING!

My 5782 Pesach Resources - Pandemic Edition #2 is available at: 

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2022/03/pesach-resources-5782-pandemic-edition-2.html 

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This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Feigel bat Kreina and D'vorah bat Feigel.

Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about becoming a Chaver and our various programs, at: https://bnaihayim.org/  

Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We’re continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya’akov. On March 29, we'll be at pages 19-20  (my pagination) of Chapter 5 of Berakhot (33b) - "...אמר רבי חנינא (מגילה כה) הכל בידי שמים" - "R. Chanina said: "Everything is in the hands of Heaven...” The reading may be found at: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18naYXIfd37WqagfJ5UfJoH84amqt2-tA/view?usp=sharing 

Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you can read here: 

Midrashim of the week - Sh'mini.pdf - Google Drive 

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source

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THE ORDER OF THE TORAH

“This is the law (torah) of the beast, of the fowl, and of every living creature that moves in the waters and of every creature that swarms upon the earth. It is to separate between the impure and the pure, and between the living thing which may be eaten and the living thing which may not be eaten.” Leviticus 11:46-47

Rabbi Simlai taught that just as the creation of humanity came after that of all the animals, the Torah of humans comes after the Torah of the animals. He was referring to the readings for the next two weeks, Tazria and Metzora, as well as to this week’s reading. Here, the kosher (clean; permitted to be eaten) and tahor (ritually pure) animals, on the one hand, and the treif (unclean; forbidden to be eaten) and tamei (impure) animals are discussed. In Tazria-Metzora, various conditions of ritual purity and impurity of human beings are described. For each condition, just as with the animals, the Torah concludes with the words “this is the law” - “zot hatorah”.

The Chatam Sofer (c. 1830), by Josef Kriehuber (1800 -1876) - Eigenes Foto einer Originallithographie der Albertina (Wien), 

The Chatam Sofer (Moses Schreiber, aka Moshe Sofer; 1762-1839), teaches that the reason the animals come first, in creation and in matters of purity, is to knock us humans down a peg. An animal can become impure only after it is dead, by happenstance. But we become impure (physically, ritually and spiritually) while we are alive, through our thoughts and deeds. It is our arrogance and our pride in believing and acting as if we are the rulers of the world and of all creation that cause our impurity. Not only do we treat animals in that way, but we all too often treat each other that way. Consider this: how do human violence, hate, pride, greed, narcissism, etc., make us superior to animals?

It's time to reorder our priorities. We cannot change the Torah to make ourselves come first. But we can change ourselves to make the ethics of the Torah come first.

Shabbat Shalom! Chodesh Nisan Tov!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier 

Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

------------------------------------------------------

Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

PESACH RESOURCES – 5782 PANDEMIC EDITION #2!

PESACH RESOURCES – 5782 PANDEMIC EDITION #2!

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Chaverim yekarim - Dear friends:
 
Well, it’s almost time for Pesach! You know, the “Festival of Freedom”, the holiday on which we celebrate our release from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt by abiding by the very strict dietary and ritual rules created by the Rabbis and Jewish Tradition, including eating the hardtack called matzah for eight days. Freedom, you say? God said, “Send forth My people, so they may serve me.” That’s how it is typically translated. But the Hebrew word for “so they may serve me”, “v’ya’avduni”, might easily be translated as “so they will slave for Me”. The root for “serve”, “avad”, is also the root for “eved” – “slave”. So, how do you manage Pesach in such a way as to avoid complete slavery?
 
Here are some simple rules:
1. Accept that you are not perfect – and neither is anyone else! You don’t have to do it all! You can’t do it all!
2. Prepare the house by cleaning and removing the chametz. A short but very useful guide to kashering your kitchen and home and identifying foods that are or are not kosher for Passover can be found at: 

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/pesah-guide-5782 

NOTE: Be sure to download the Guide and the separate addendum to the Guide, both at the above link. 

3. Prepare the food for the Seder.
4. Prepare the food for the remainder of the holiday by shopping for it before Pesach.
5. Prepare yourself and your family spiritually.
6. Prepare yourself and your family intellectually.
7. Do not drive yourself or anyone else crazy – see number rule #1.
8. Remember that Pesach really is about freedom; freedom is fun; have fun! See rule #7.
9. Any questions? Ask a rabbi!

We are marking the third(!) Pesach of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most important thing to remember: your health, and the health of your loved ones, friends, neighbors, and community, is more valuable than the laws concerning Pesach. We are permitted to be lenient regarding virtually any mitzvah when it comes to preserving life and health. This includes Pesach! There will be another Pesach! But there will never be another you! You do the best you can under the circumstances you face - period!

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Are you looking for ways to make your Seder more meaningful, more accessible, more involving for children, more interesting, shorter, etc.? Then check out these resources on-line:
 
a. The Rabbinical Assembly’s Pesach Guide 5782 can be read and downloaded at the following site: 

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/pesah-guide-5782 

NOTE: Be sure to download the Guide and the separate addendum to the Guide, both at the above link. 

 
b. Additional Pesach kashrut and other resources from the Rabbinical Assembly may be found at: 

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/jewish-law/holidays/pesah/pesah-prep-and-resources 

c. Pesach kitchen kashering from a strictly Orthodox perspective can be found at:
 
https://artscroll.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/kosher-kitchen_ch-15.pdf
 
d. MyJewishLearning.com is, IMVHO, the best Jewish educational resource on the web, and has material on virtually everything you might ever want to know about Judaism, but don't know how or whom to ask. The homepage is easily navigable. For Pesach, explore this page:

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/category/celebrate/passover/  

 

e. Passover according to Chabad in a straightforward manner. Follow the links on this page:
 
https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/aid/109747/jewish/Passover.htm  

f. Especially good for beginners, National Jewish Outreach Program’s extensive and accessible collection of how-to’s, background materials and videos, from the folks who bring you Shabbat Across America (also has Shabbat and other holiday resources):
 
http://njop.org/resources/holidays/complete-guide-to-holidays/passover/passover-seder-101-web-series/ 

g. How about a downloadable Haggadah? Including  do-it-yourself cut and paste versions? Check out:

https://jewishfreeware.org/downloads/folder.2006-01-07.0640323187/ 
 

See also: The Express Haggadah at: https://expresshaggadah.com 

One of my seminary teachers suggested that, in addition to whichever Haggadah of choice you use for your Seder, you should every year acquire a new Haggadah with commentary and illustrations to help you prepare and make your Seder more enjoyable. Ask your local Jewish bookseller, consult with a rabbi, explore the web – there are beautiful and accessible Haggadot available. Here are some of my favorites for getting ready:

 

 
1. Passover Haggadah – The Feast of Freedom. The Rabbinical Assembly, 1982. Clear spiritual commentary. NOTE: This is available for free download at the Rabbinical Assembly website. See the haggadah download link at:

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/webform/form-download-feast-freedom-passover-haggadah 
 
2. A Passover Haggadah – Go Forth and Learn. Rabbi David Silver. Jewish Publication Society, 2011. A new classic.
 
3. The Haggadah Treasury. Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Artscroll, 1978. Midrash and traditional teachings.
 
4. From Bondage to Freedom – The Passover Haggadah. Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. Shaar Press, 1995. Tradition blended with insights relating to addiction and dependency.
 
5. A Different Night – The Family Participation Haggadah. Noam Zion and David Dishon. Shalom Hartman Institute, 1997. Difficult to use at the seder, but lots of great ideas - especially in the leader's guide.
 
6. Studies on the Haggadah from the Teachings of Nechama Leibowitz. Urim Publications, 2002. Deep Torah from a great scholar.
 
7. The Hirsch Haggadah. Samson Raphael Hirsch. Feldheim Publishers, 1993. The 19th century voice of Orthodoxy.
 
8. A Feast of History. Chaim Raphael. Steimatzky’s, 1972. (Out of print but available used) The lengthy historical essay is interesting and useful.
 
9. The Origins of the Seder. Baruch Bokser. JTS Press, 2002 (Paperback edition). Not a Haggadah, but for those interested in an academic treatise that opens the eyes to history.
 
10. Passover – The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration. Dr. Ron Wolfson. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2010 (2d edition) A straight-forward how-to guide with explanations and insights for the table.
 
Some other important reminders about Pesach and the lead-up to the holy days:
 
1. All first-borns (except Levi’im and Kohanim) are obliged to engage in a fast, called Ta’anit B’chorot, others say Ta'anit B'chorim, from pre-dawn until the seder on the 14th of Nisan, on Friday, April 15, in recognition of the 10th plague. To avoid the fast, the custom has become for the firstborn to engage in Torah study and then have a festive "meal" (a siyyum) at the completion of their study. Reb Jason will be in person AND on-line hosting Torah study and siyyum on April 15, at 8:30 am, streaming at https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim/ and via Zoom - Zoom details will be in the synagogue e-mail notices, or you can contact me at ravflom@sbcglobal.net for the Zoom link.

 

2. Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier is holding a hybrid in-person and virtual Community Second Seder this year, Saturday, April 16 at 6:30 pm.

For more information on the Community Second Seder, contact the synagogue at (818) 788-4664 or office@bethmeier.org 

3.  DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE AND SELL CHAMETZ!! – AUTHORIZE RABBI VAN LEEUWEN TO SELL ON YOUR BEHALF NO LATER THAN 5:00 pm, Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

A fillable on-line form is available here: 

https://forms.gle/fjoeJn6sgxyi8CLY8 
 
4. Kitniyot (beans, rice, corn) on Pesach? Yes! Read the latest from the Rabbinical Assembly at:
 
http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/2011-2020/Levin-Reisner-Kitniyot.pdf
 
I guess it's time to start thinking about Pesach!
 
Wishing you a Chag Pesach Sameach, Kasher U’Mashma’uti – A Passover that is Happy, Kosher and Meaningful!
 
Rabbi Richard A. Flom

STUDYING MATTERS

Parashat Tzav

Torah: Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

Haftarah: Jeremiah 7:21 – 8:3; 9:22-23

Adar Hasheni 16, 5782 / March 18-19, 2022

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PESACH IS COMING!

My 5782 Pesach Resources - Pandemic Edition #2 is available at: 

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2022/03/pesach-resources-5782-pandemic-edition-2.html 

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This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Feigel bat Kreina and D'vorah bat Feigel.

Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about becoming a Chaver and our various programs, at: https://bnaihayim.org/  

Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We’re continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya’akov. On March 22, we'll be at page 15 (my pagination) of Chapter 5 of Berakhot (32b) - "...תנו רבנן מעשה בחסיד אחד שהיה מתפלל בדרך" - "Our Rabbis taught: Once a pious man, while praying on the road,...” The reading may be found at: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18naYXIfd37WqagfJ5UfJoH84amqt2-tA/view?usp=sharing 

Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you can read here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hMHqbfE-BSnHZeVulLMNV-LcEdv2_-9a/view 

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source

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STUDYING MATTERS

 

"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command Aaron and his sons, thus: This is the law (literally, "the Torah") of the burnt offering ...'" Leviticus 6:1-2

Rabbi Simchah Bunim of Peshischa (c.1765 - 1827, Poland) compares our verse with one from 1 Samuel 15:22: "And Samuel said, 'Does the Lord delight as much in offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Surely to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.'" To Samuel, "obeying" must mean something other than obeying the commandments to offer the sacrifices. Simchah Bunim attempts to reconcile the apparent contradiction between the two verses by citing the following passage from the Talmud: "All who engage in Torah study have no need for the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, or the guilt offering." BT Menachot 110a

One might think that the Talmud here means that while one is studying Torah, one is exempt from bringing the sacrificial offerings. Simchah Bunim says it means much more than that. According to him, the study of the Torah of the offerings is even better than actually bringing them!

Rabbi Simchah Bunim of Peshischa

 

But what about the obedience that Samuel referred to? The answer might be found in the notion that we are commanded to study Torah. Note the blessing in the daily morning service that concludes, "... and Who commands us to be engaged with matters (or, words) of Torah." (la’asok b’divrei torah)

Observing the commandment of study leads to practice. If we learn the Torah regarding how to treat each other, and put it into practice, we do not need to seek atonement, so we need not bring sacrifices. Study of the Torah of the offerings will not only suffice, it will be better than sacrificing. Hence the Rabbinic dictum: talmud torah k'neged kulam - Torah study is equivalent to all the commandments - because it leads to observance of them.

Purim Sameach! Have a wonderful Shabbat!

Grand Rabbi Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom
Der Heiliger Shlabodkieville Rebbe
Av Beis Din – Chelm
משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה
Mishenichnas Adar, Marbin B’simcha!
With the entry of the month of Adar, we increase joy!
Be Happy! Adar 2 is here!
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Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

YOU’RE GETTING CLOSER

Parashat Vayikra (Shabbat Zakhor)
Adar Hasheni 9, 5782 / March 11-12, 2022
Torah: Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26
Maftir: Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Haftarah (Zakhor): 1 Samuel 15:2-34 (Ashkenazim); 1 Samuel 15:1-34 (Sephardim)

Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour this Saturday night. Daylight saving time is here.

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משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה Mishenichnas Adar, marbin b’simchah! – With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 
 
HERE'S A LITTLE PURIM TORAH CONTEST 
As this is a Jewish Leap Year, it raises a question, and the person who gives me whatever I believe to be the best answer will be awarded one slightly used bottle of slivovitz (the decision of the judge and the amount of slivovitz remaining after he drinks from the bottle are in his sole discretion and are final): Since we are instructed by our rabbis to be joyful in Adar, and Adar is twice as long this year, does that mean that we will have twice as much joy in total this year than in non-leap years, or, does it mean that on any given day in the months of Adar, we are only half as joyful as we would have been in a non-leap year because our joy must be spread over twice as many days? There is no right or wrong answer! Be creative with proof texts!
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PURIM IS COMING, BABY! Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier will be holding their annual Megillah reading and Purim Shpiel on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 PM - in-person, via Zoom, and on FaceBook live. This year's Purim Shpiel is "West Side Purim Story", written and directed by Reb Jason can Leeuwen. You can see a preview here: 

https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim/videos/982577839055665/ 

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This d'var torah is offered in honor of my mother, Annabelle Flom, celebrating her 91st birthday on Friday, March 11. Yom Huledet Sameach, Ima! Ad Meah V'esrim! Happy Birthday, Mom! Until 120! 

This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Feigel bat Kreina and D'vorah bat Feigel.

Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about becoming a Chaver and our various programs, at: https://bnaihayim.org/  

Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We’re continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya’akov. On March 8, we'll be at page 7 (my pagination) of Chapter 5 of Berakhot (32a) - "...וידבר ה׳ אל משה לך רד" - "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, Go, get thee down!...” The reading may be found at: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18naYXIfd37WqagfJ5UfJoH84amqt2-tA/view?usp=sharing 

Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you can read here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kb2Gt3jkjrBchBp1TGsmjwStU6fE7kbQ/view 

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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YOU’RE GETTING CLOSER

“When a person from among you should offer (yakriv) an offering (korban) to the Lord ...” Leviticus 1:2

Rabbi Elazar: Doing deeds of charity is greater than all of the sacrificial offerings (korbanot). BT Sukkah 49b

The word “korban” has an interesting etymology. The word is usually translated as “offering” or “sacrifice”. The book of Leviticus uses the word, or some variant of it, numerous times in this and succeeding parshiot, describing in graphic detail the various animal and grain sacrifices. The root of the word is k-r-v, which means “to draw near”.

The rabbis wondered why the sacrificial rite should use this particular term. One classic explanation is that the smoke of the sacrifice rose up to God, and drew God near to the person making the offering. Another explanation is that, by offering something of significant value, the person was bringing him/herself closer to God, a not-so-subtle difference. There were many types of sacrifices: atonement, freewill, thanksgiving, purification, and others. With the Temple destroyed and the sacrifices gone, we might ask how it is possible to draw close to God. 

I do not believe that Rabbi Elazar’s answer is sufficient, for giving charity, or performing any other “good deed”, in and of itself, does not necessarily make any spiritual connection for us, even if fulfilling the commandment makes us “feel good”.

Now consider this kavannah, a brief statement of intent, recited before donning tefillin: “For the sake of the unification of the Holy One Blessed is He, and His Presence ... Here I am, intending to fulfill the mitzvah of my Creator ...” The Kabbalists teach that performing the mitzvah of tefillin brings us closer to God, and God closer to us, IF THAT IS OUR INTENT. I would go a step further. We ought to focus on bringing ourselves closer to God whenever we observe ANY mitzvah, whether it is giving charity or lighting Shabbat candles or reciting the Sh’ma or praying.

In other words, every mitzvah is a “korban”, an offering of drawing closer to God, if we intend that it be so. There is a world of difference between lighting candles for atmosphere and reciting a blessing over them. And there is a significant difference between reciting a blessing by rote and intending that one truly bring God into one’s life through an act and accompanying blessing. But that is a sacrifice that should be easy to make.

Have a wonderful Shabbat!

Grand Rabbi Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom
Der Heiliger Shlabodkieville Rebbe
Av Beis Din – Chelm
משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה
Mishenichnas Adar, Marbin B’simcha!
With the entry of the month of Adar, we increase joy!
Be Happy! Adar 2 is here!
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SOME BEAN COUNTER!

Parashat Pekudei

Torah: Exodus 38:21 – 40:38 (Chazak!)

Haftarah: 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 (Ashkenazim); 1 Kings 7:40-50 (Sephardim)

Adar Hasheni 2, 5782 / March 4-5, 2022

This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Feigel bat Kreina and D'vorah bat Feigel.

Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about becoming a Chaver and our various programs, at: https://bnaihayim.org/  

 
Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We’re continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya’akov. On March 8, we'll be at page 7 (my pagination) of Chapter 5 of Berakhot (32a) - "...וידבר ה׳ אל משה לך רד" - "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, Go, get thee down!...” The reading may be found at: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18naYXIfd37WqagfJ5UfJoH84amqt2-tA/view?usp=sharing 

Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you can read here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kb2Gt3jkjrBchBp1TGsmjwStU6fE7kbQ/view 

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משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה Mishenichnas Adar, marbin b’simchah! – With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 
 
HERE'S A LITTLE PURIM TORAH CONTEST 
As this is a Jewish Leap Year, it raises a question, and the person who gives me whatever I believe to be the best answer will be awarded one slightly used bottle of slivovitz (the decision of the judge and the amount of slivovitz remaining after he drinks from the bottle are in his sole discretion and are final): Since we are instructed by our rabbis to be joyful in Adar, and Adar is twice as long this year, does that mean that we will have twice as much joy in total this year than in non-leap years, or, does it mean that on any given day in the months of Adar, we are only half as joyful as we would have been in a non-leap year because our joy must be spread over twice as many days? There is no right or wrong answer! Be creative with proof texts!
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Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source
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SOME BEAN COUNTER!

“These are the accountings (pekudei) of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony, which was accounted for (pukad) at the behest of Moses ... “Exodus 38:21

I must confess that, all too often, the subtleties of Hebrew grammar are lost on me. The Hebrew root "pkd" gives rise to words which, in various constructions, mean “account”, “count”, “command(er)”, “deposit”, “official”, and “bureaucrat”, among others. Some are laudatory, some are derogatory. How exactly was it used in our verse?

 

One could read this verse to mean that Moses was acting merely as a functionary, a bureaucrat, a pencil pushing bean counter - you get the idea. Somehow, I do not believe that this is the way that Moses would have liked to be remembered. Because of the passive voice, it's not clear what his motivation was.

"Moses Beholds All the Work" - Marc Chagall, 1966

 

The midrash suggests that Moses ordered the accounting because he did not want anybody to accuse him of stealing. This sort of self-protective mentality is laudable, in one respect, because it shows that Moses had nothing to hide. Everything that had been collected for the Tabernacle had actually been used in its construction. On the other hand, it is a bit unseemly, showing that he perhaps did not believe the people trusted him. Why should Moses have feared the Children of Israel? After all, they believed so strongly in him, that when he did not reappear after climbing Mount Sinai , they assumed that God had abandoned them!

 

A third possible way to look at this is that Moses ordered the accounting because he believed that the people had a right to know. He wasn't a drudge and he wasn't afraid. Rather, he was shedding light where there was potential for darkness; he was an early advocate for transparency. Note also that God did not command Moses to do this.

 

Lost in all this, and in our attitudes towards bureaucrats, is that ultimately, Moses' motivation is irrelevant. The bottom line is that the people were reassured. He was a good public servant. That is all that we can hope to expect from anybody that works on behalf of the community. And a job well done is something you can take to the bank!

 

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Grand Rabbi Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom, Sh’lita

Der Heiliger Shlabodkieville Rebbe
Av Beis Din - Chelm

משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה Mishenichnas Adar, marbin b’simchah!

With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 

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