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Parshat Chukat
Shabbat Friday Night Live
19:15
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20:00
Shacharit
08:45
Leining
09:45
Variety Kiddush
11:00
Summer Seudah at the Portnoys
20:30
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22:58
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6 Tammuz 5777 30 June 2017
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Thought For The Week
Shacharit
Mincha & Ma’ariv
Sun
09:00
19:30
Mon
07:00
19:30
Tues
07:00
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Wed
07:00
19:30
When Moshe lost his temper with Bnai
The Gemara (Shabbat 105b) compares a
Thur
07:00
19:30
Yisrael and struck the rock instead of
person who becomes so angry that he loses
Fri
07:00
19:30*
speaking to it, his punishment was never
control of himself to someone who wor-
20:00
to enter the land of Israel. When we con-
ships idols. This is because he has forgotten
sider how devastating this penalty was, it
that Hashem runs the world, not he, and
to Stephen Cantor on the loss of his mother, and to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows
is hard to understand the severity of his
that anything that happens, however infu-
crime. After all, Moshe was provoked, con-
riating, happens for a reason. Our ‘godliness’
stantly and repeatedly, by the complaints
– our resemblance to Hashem – depends
שבת
and the faithlessness of the Jewish people,
on our remembering that we are not G-d.
who constantly compared the hardships of
Moshe, as Hashem’s mouthpiece, was sup-
the desert with the luxuries of Egypt, and
posed to enact His miracle and produce
ignored Hashem’s daily miracles. Surely
water by speaking to the rock. Instead, his
Moshe could be forgiven for losing control
anger got in the way and broke his connection with Hashem irreparably, so that he
Candle Lighting * Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
Chayim Arukim
Take A Step Back
Ian Halpern Larraine Wolff
Mother Mother
Michelle Rothburn Jonathan Brownson Sandra Mason Gordon King Adrienne Somerfield
Mother Mother Husband Father Father
David Middleweek
Father
of his temper once in a while?
5 July 11 Tammuz
Amanda Kaye
Mother
In most secular legal systems, provoca-
Thurs
Susannah Benjamin Ruth Shammah
Mother Mother
Fri
Ashley Myers Darren Pincus
Father Father
1 July 7 Tammuz
Sun
2 July 8 Tammuz
Tues
4 July 10 Tammuz
Wed
7 July 12 Tammuz 8 July 13 Tammuz
Kiddushim 1 July Variety Kiddush 8 July Nursery Leaver’s Shabbat 15 July Michelle & Ben Sallon
tion would be accepted as an excuse for a
could not continue to lead Bnai Yisrael into the Promised Land.
violent response, and loss of control would mitigate most crimes. But Hashem held
Rabbi Joel Portnoy
Moshe to a higher standard of behaviour, and he also expects more from us. We are expected to always control ourselves. Anger is not an excuse, and it is not excusable.
Shabbat Weather AM Partly Cloudy 18o High 12o Overnight Low
Parsha
S L E W
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First Aliyah - 17 verses This section details the purification process for an individual or object which has contracted ritual impurity from a human corpse. This includes a red heifer which is slaughtered and burnt together with a few added ingredients. Second Aliyah - 11 verses An impure individual may not enter the Tabernacle or Temple until the purification process is completed. Miriam dies in the fortieth year in the desert. The “Well of Miriam” dries up, and the people complain bitterly about the lack of water. Third Aliyah - 7 verses The incident of Moses striking the rock, instead of speaking to it. G-d punishes Moses and Aaron, barring them from leading the Jews into Israel. Fourth Aliyah - 8 verses Moses requests permission to pass through the land of Edom on the way to the Promised Land. Despite Moses’ promises not to cause any harm to the land whilst passing, Edom refuses the Jews passage. The Jews are therefore forced to approach Canaan from the east. Fifth Aliyah - 17 verses G-d commands Moses, Aaron and Elazar to go up Mount Hor. Elazar is appointed the next Kohen Gadol, as Aaron then passes away. The Amalekites attack the Jews. After more complaints about food, G-d dispatches serpents and many Jews die. Moses prays to G-d and is instructed to fashion a copper serpent. Sixth Aliyah - 11 verses The Jews journey on, making their way towards the eastern bank of the Jordan River. Seventh Aliyah - 16 verses The Jews approach the land of the Emorites. They request permission to pass through en route to Canaan. Sichon refuses and instead attacks the Jews. The Jews are victorious and occupy the Emorite lands, and latterly the land of Og, king of Bashan.
The Red Heifer had to be completely blemish free, and could not have any other colours.
M S I DA
U J F O
Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we discuss different mitzvot which are beyond our understanding
Beyond Logic Generally, the mitzvot of the Torah belong in one of three categories: ‘Eduyot’-Testimonies: If a mitzvah testifies to a historical event or to some aspect of our faith, it is termed ‘edut’, testimony. Examples are the mitzvah to observe Shabbat, which attests to our belief that the A-lmighty created the world in six days; to observe the yamim tovim, because they commemorate the exodus from Egypt; the mitzvot of tzitzit and tefillin, which demonstrate our belief in Hashem’s rulership. ‘Mishpatim’-Civil Laws: These are Divine laws that promulgate the safety and survival of human society. They include, for example, the prohibition against theft and murder.
‘Chukim’-Ordinances: In this category are mitzvot whose purposes or meanings are not necessarily understood by human intelligence.
There are numerous examples of chukim, but the Midrash lists four about which the Torah explicitly
states are ‘chukim’. Since they contain apparently contradictory elements, they are liable to be ridiculed by a rational thinker. The Torah therefore advises usto not question them. The four are: 1. Yibum: A Jew who marries his brother’s wife during his brother’s lifetime or even after the latter’s death, incurs the ‘karet’ penalty, if his brother had
Since they contain apparently contradictory elements, they are liable to be ridiculed by a rational thinker. children. But if his brother’s widow is childless, it is a mitzvah to marry her. 2. Shaatnez: The Torah forbids the wearing of a garment that contains a mixture of wool and linen. However, it is permissible to wear a linen garment to which woolen tzitzit are attached. 3. The Yom Kippur ‘Scapegoat’: This goat is
sent to its death as part of the Yom Kippur Service, purified the Jews of their sins while defiling the agent who took it away. 4. The Red Heifer: The ashes of the Red Heifer purifies a Jew who is impure, while rendering anyone involved in the preparation, impure. Nevertheless, chukim are not “laws without reasons”; rather, their logic is Divine. Even someone as great as King Solomon, who found reasons for all the other mitzvot, was unable to understand the Red Heifer. Solomon’s wisdom in all areas was immense. He knew details of Torah that even Moshe did not know. And yet, his lack of clarity in this one area did not obstruct him from achieving such lofty levels. One reason for this, is because even mitzvot which seem understandable are beyond man’s intellect .Based on ‘The Midrash Says’ by Rabbi M. Weiss
If you would like to share your words of wisdom, please submit your article of no more than 500 words to nick@hale-community.org.uk
Parsha Stats Chukat is the 39th of 54 sedras 6th of 10 in Bamidbar Written on 159.2 lines in a Torah 87 verses - ranks 43rd (10th in Bamidbar) 1245 words - ranks 40th (10th in Bamidbar) 4670 letters - ranks 41st (10th in Bamidbar)
Did You Know Three mitzvot are mentioned in this week’s parsha. All of them are positive. Only five other parshiyot contain solely positive mitzvot. The ‘Well of Miriam’ was supplied by Hashem as a constant source of water in Miriam’s merit, because she stayed with Moshe to ensure his safety as he floated downstream in the River Nile as a baby.
Tip #35 Being On The Same Side
TEFILLAH TIPS
We have previously mentioned the Talmudic imperative that one should make time every day for the study of Scripture, Mishnah and Gemara. If a person is unable to do so, they can at least fulfill this obligation by reciting the biblical passages about the sacrifices, the chapter of Mishnayot (‘Eizehu Mekoman’), and the beraita of Rabbi Yishmael.
The chapter of Mishnah, taken from masechet Yoma, is unique in that it mentions all the different sacrifices and where they were offered in the Temple. It is also the only chapter (out of over 500) that does not record any dissenting opinions whatsoever. By including it in our prayers, we subliminally remind ourselves every morning of the importance of not engaging in any unnecessary disagreements or arguments, but rather
The Talmud says that there are 903 types of death, with the ‘Kiss of Death’ from Hashem being the least painful (it is compared to removing a strand of hair from milk). Only six people died like this: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam.
Just For Fun Question: Which of the five books is favoured by accountants? Answer: The Book of Numbers!
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KING AHEAD THIS SHABBAT
THIS SHABBAT
In The Spotlight Friday Night Live On Friday night, Hale Shule will be experimenting with a Kabbalat Shabbat service, accompanied by live music. It is the first time we are attempting such an idea, but if it runs successfully, it could be an exciting offering in these longer Summer Fridays. The concept takes advantage of the large gap in time between the start of the service, and the time the community lights Shabbat candles. Candles are not lit before the designated candle lighting time, and therefore Shabbat will not yet be in. Additionally, the community in Shule only accept Shabbat at the end of the Kabbalat Shabbat service. Therefore, the prayers prior to that moment, can be set to music, entirely within the halachic framework, as Shabbat would not yet have started. This is an opportunity not to be missed. It is perfect for the family, and the tunes will all be familiar. The service will still finish at its normal time, and there will even be a kiddush at the end. We look forward to seeing you there.
If you would like to sponsor an edition of ‘Something For Everyone’, in honour of a simcha or for a yahrzeit, or for any reason, please contact the Shule office on 0161 980 8846 or admin@hale-community.org.uk