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Parshat Emor 12 Iyar 5776 20 May 2016
Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat
19:00
(Candle Lighting)
19:30
Shacharit
09:15
Leining
10:15
Mincha, Seudah & Ma’ariv
21:10
Shabbat terminates
22:21
Weekday
Security team: Pink
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Haftarah
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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
19:30
Wed
07:00
19:30
This week’s parsha provides the backdrop
Similarly, a Kohen must ensure that he is
Thur
07:00
19:30
Fri
07:00
19:00*
to many of the privileges and honours we
abiding by the laws expected of somebody
give to Kohanim. Many people are familiar
who is serving in Hashem’s Temple. He
with the priorities given to Kohanim when
must make sure not contaminate himself
to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows
it comes to being called up to the Torah,
or anything else in the Temple. They even
or leading Birkat Hamazon. It is also widely
train their children from a very young
21 May
understood that Kohanim may not go
age to understand these limitations. It is
near dead bodies or graves.
not because G-d wishes to restrict, but
* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
Chayim Arukim שבת
13 Iyar
Sun
Louise Kaye Father Raymond Crammer Mother
22 May 14 Iyar
Jacqueline Luft
Father
Mon
Vicky Lee Deana Berger
Mother Mother
Tues
Josie Davies Robert Sterling
Father Mother
Gail Jacobson
Mother
23 May 15 Iyar 24 May 16 Iyar
Thurs
26 May 18 Iyar
Fri
rather He wishes to emphasise the unique The notion behind these ‘special’ laws is
expectations of this group with additional
a recognition of the etiquette and behav-
responsibilities.
iours expected of this group. We see this in several areas nowadays. The guards at Buckingham Palace have to dress in a
27 May 19 Iyar
Dinah Crystal
Father
שבת
Jackie Cohen Gerald Adlestone
Father Father
28 May 20 Iyar
Great Expectations
Kiddushim
set uniform, and must behave according to strict rules. A soldier in an army has a different uniform, and different expectations. A professional chef must wear his uniform, while also taking care not to add
21 May Jennifer & David Zucker
anything which could contaminate the
28 May Communal Power Kiddush
prepared.
4 June Caroline & Charles Levine
It is also to help train the rest of us to understand that even though we may not belong to the Priestly Tribe, we nevertheless represent Hashem and the Jewish People in everything we do, and that our behaviour and contributions to the world reflect that.
Rabbi Nick Kett
taste or the smell of the food that is being
Shabbat Weather AM Rainy 16o High 8o Overnight Low
Parsha
S L E W
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First Aliyah - 15 verses A Kohen has to maintain a high level of ritual purity. An ordinary Kohen is prohibited to come into contact with a human corpse, (except to attend the funerals of his next of kin), and may not marry a divorcee as well as some other women. Second Aliyah - 25 verses Bodily blemishes and ritual impurities can disqualify a Kohen from performing his duties in the Temple. There are also rules regarding who in the Kohen’s household may eat terumah, the tithe from produce given to the Kohanim. Third Aliyah - 17 verses Blemished animals cannot be used for sacrifice. We may not castrate animals, sacrifice animals younger than eight days old, or slaughter a mother animal and her child on the same day. The mitzvah of kiddush Hashem, sanctifying G-d’s Name by giving one’s life rather than transgressing certain cardinal sins, is also discussed. Fourth Aliyah - 22 verses After mentioning Shabbat, the Torah talks about Pesach and the mitzvah of eating matzah. After the “omer” barley offering on the second day, there is a seven-week counting period that finishes with the holiday of Shavuot. The Torah briefly interrupts to mention the obligation of leaving gifts for the poor during harvesting. Fifth Aliyah - 10 verses Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are discussed.. Sixth Aliyah - 12 verses Sukkot is introduced. We are commanded to sit in outdoor booths, and take the Four Species. The final holiday is Shemini Atzeret, a one-day holiday which immediately follows Sukkot. Seventh Aliyah - 23 verses Only the purest olive oil may be used for lighting the Menorah. A Jewish man is put to death for blaspheming G d. Discusses penalties for committing murder, property damages, and personal injury.
U J F O
This week we take a look at the fine line between honouring and desecrating G-d’s Name
Being A Kiddush Hashem Hashem commands in this week’s parsha (22:32) “And you shall not desecrate My Holy Name!” All Jews, men and women alike, must avoid desecrating Hashem’s name in any of these situations: If someone commands a Jew, “Either you worship idols (or commit a murder, or sin with one of the forbidden marital relations), or else I shall kill you,” he must let himself be killed rather than transgress the prohibition. If he agrees to violate it, he desecrates the Almighty’s Name.
If a non-Jew in the presence of ten Jewish adult males bids him to violate any mitzvah in the Torah in order to degrade the Torah (and not for the sake of personal benefit), he must submit himself to death rather than transgress it, for he would publicly desecrate the Almighty’s Name were he to consent to the non-Jew’s demand.
During periods of religious persecution, when Jews are forbidden by official edict to fulfill the entire Torah or certain mitz-
rs to The Torah refe as the blasphemer ” G-d, one who “blessed rah because the To a clean always speaks in and polite way.
M S I DA
Delve into the deeper side of Judaism
vot, many Jews sacrificed their lives to avoid committing any sin. For example, after the destruction of the Second Temple, the Romans forced the Jews to transgress some mitzvot. Or later, when the Spanish Inquisition demanded that Jews bow to an image, they would sacrifice his life in order to avoid desecrating Hashem’s Name.
If a Jew sins - even
If asked to commit one of the three cardinal sins; murder, idol worship, or immorality, a Jew can honour Hashem’s Name by refusing.
Singling out particular martyrs to illustrate this mitzvah does injustice to countless Jews throughout the ages and in our time, too, who relinquished their lives to sanctify His Holy Name. Everyone can sanctify G-d’s Name whenever he is faced with the choice of whether or not to transgress a Torah commandment If he refrains from the sin for the sake of G-d’s command, his action sanctifies Hashem’s Name.
Everyone can sanctify G-d’s Name whenever he is faced with the choice of whether or not to transgress privately - solely for the purpose of angering the Creator and defying His Will (as opposed to being overcome by temptation), He desecrates the honour of Hashem. If someone publicly acts beneath the standards expected of him, he desecrates Hashem’s Name, for people will then lose their respect for Torah and mitzvot. Conversely, we have opportunities to sanctiy Hashem’s Name too.
Another opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah is to conduct oneself in such a manner that those who observe him are struck by the greatness and dignity of a Jew. One’s daily activities thus become a demonstration of the greatness of the Almighty and His Torah.
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 Emor is the 31st of 54 sedras 8th of 10 in Vayikra Written on 215 lines in a Torah 124 verses - ranks 15th (1st in Vayikra) 1614 words - ranks 22nd (2nd in Vayikra) 6106 letters - ranks 23rd (2nd in Vayikra)
Did You Know This week’s parsha mentions 63 of the 613 mitzvot in total. 24 are positive mitzvot, and 39 are prohibitions, putting it in second place behind Parshat Ki Teitze, which has 74! We are commanded to honour Kohanim. We commonly fulfill this mitzvah by giving them the first aliyah when we read from the Torah, and inviting them to lead Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals). If a non-Kohen inadvertently eats Terumah, which may only be eaten by Kohanim, he must compensate the Kohen by payng the value plus an amount which equals 1/5 of the payment.
QA &
Read through the Parsha in English and find answers to the questions. LOLLIPOPS WILL BE AWARDED TO ANYONE WHO READS THROUGH IT, AND TELLS RABBI NICK THE CORRECT ANSWERS!
Which relatives is a Kohen allowed to become tamei from if they die? How many different types of blemish that disqualify a Kohen are mentioned? How many different types of forbidden mixtures are there? Is the wife of a Kohen allowed to eat Terumah? What phrase from Parshat Mishpatim appears again in this week’s parsha? Which festivals are not mentioned in this week’s parsha, and why?
The Omer started with a barley offering, and finished on Shavuot with a wheat offering. The improvement of barley to wheat mirrors the personal improvement one is supposed to make during this period of time.
Just For Fun Question: Who was the funniest comedian in the Bible? Answer: Samson... He brought the house down!
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 1. Burn it. 2. Poor people.
3. Clothes, Animals, Seeds. 4. Three. 5. Fortune telling.
L
KING AHEAD
COMMUNAL
EDUCATION
In The Spotlight Gideon Zucker and Jodi Loebenberg This week we celebrate the aufruf and forthcoming marriage of Gideon to Jodi. Gideon now lives in London, where he met Jodi three years ago. He works as a primary school teacher, and will be starting as the Deputy Head at Highgate Prep. in September. Jodi is originally from South Africa, but now lives in London and works in PR. Her sister works at the same school as Gideon, and was the one who introduced them. Jodi and Gideon will be settling in Borehamwood following their wedding in London in June.
BEYOND HALE
We are delighted to welcome Jodi’s parents, Lisa Plaut and Richard Loebenberg to Hale this weekend, who will be joining Gideon’s parents, Jennifer and David, who have lived in Hale for almost 30 years. David’s mother, Mrs. Irene Zucker will also be making the journey from Glasgow, as well as a strong contingent coming from London. We wish Mazaltov to Jodi and Gideon and their families, and we thank them for their hospitality.
Mazaltov to Simon & Abigail Mattison and Mark & Charmaine Mattison on the birth of a daughter and granddaughter. 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
Niki & Clive Leveson on the birth of a grandson, a son to Samantha & Joel.