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Parshat Nasso 11 Sivan 5776 17 June 2016
Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat
19:30
(Candle Lighting)
19:55
Shacharit
09:15
Leining
10:15
Summer Seudah with Mincha, at the Portnoys
20:30
Shabbat terminates
23:00
Security team: Orange
Weekday
Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz
Leining
Haftarah
748 876 586
1181 1446 602
Thought For The Week
Shacharit
Mincha & Ma’ariv
Sun
09:00
19:30
Mon
07:00
19:30
Tues
07:00
19:30
Our Parasha juxtaposes two topics; the
Like Adam and Chava, the Sotah process
Wed
07:00
19:30
process of investigating adultery (the
is about someone suspected of yielding to
Thur
07:00
19:30
Sotah), and the laws concerning a Nazir
temptation. We need to understand that
Fri
07:00
19:30*
Candle Lighting
20:00
– someone who vows not to drink wine
even in the absence of actual betrayal, we
or cut his hair. Such juxtaposition in the
must avoid social interaction with a per-
Torah is never considered random. The
son of the other gender in a way that is
Gemara tells us broadly speaking, that
inappropriate or makes our loved one feel
anyone who has witnessed marital break-
uncomfortable. This explains the Gemara’s
up manifest in the process of Sotah would
assertion that someone who witnessed
immediately take a vow to abstain from
the Sotah process would be inspired to
wine. How so?
reject the fruit of the vine; thereby undo-
* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
Chayim Arukim
to Nikki Lee on the loss of her father and to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows
Mon
Staying Faithful
Bill Lister Michael Lister
Mother Mother
21 June 15 Sivan
Craig Feldman
Sister
tion. Alcohol amongst other things, tends
Wed
Jonathan Berens Alan Segal Mark Saperia Wendy Knopf
Father Father Mother Sister
to reduce inhibitions and the results can
This message has never been more rel-
lead to marital devastation. However, the
evant today. We live in challenging times
Zohar points out that the Nazir under-
for the institution of marriage and when
Neil Rosenthal
Father
takes to abstain not only from alcoholic
we learn from each other’s mistakes, we
wine but also the non-alcoholic fruits and
strengthen our own resolve not to repeat
Kiddushim
seeds of the grapevine. This is because,
them.
18 June Nadine & Antony Wagman
according to some, the Tree of Knowledge
25 June Rebecca & Craig Lewis
Chava ate in the Garden of Eden was a
Shabbat Weather
2 July Linda & Barry Price
grapevine. It was their inability to resist
AM Partly Cloudy
temptation which led them to stray from
18o High
their divinely ordained path.
9o Overnight Low
20 June 14 Sivan
Tues
22 June 16 Sivan
Fri
23 June 17 Sivan
It is not hard to understand the associa-
ing what Adam did when he accepted the forbidden fruit.
Rabbi Joel Portnoy
of Good and Evil from which Adam and
Parsha
verview
First Aliyah - 17 verses The Levite familes of Gershon and Merari receive their roles in the transportation of the Mishkan. A final count is given of the Levite Kehat family - those between the ages of thirty and fifty: 2,750. Second Aliyah - 12 verses The total for the Gershon family: 2,630. The Merari family: 3,200. Thus the grand total of Levites eligible to transport the Mishkan and its vessels: 8,580. Third Aliyah - 10 verses With G-d’s presence gracing the Mishkan, He instructs the Jewish people to banish certain ritually impure individuals from their encampments. Most of them were only barred from entering the Mishkan area. Only one who suffered from tzara’at (“leprosy”) was sent out of the general encampment. This section also discusses the mitzvah to verbally confess one’s sins, and a person’s right to select a priest of his liking to whom to give the various required priestly gifts. Fourth Aliyah - 48 verses This rather lengthy section contains three concepts: 1) The ceremony for the sotah, a suspected adulteress. 2) The laws of an individual who vows to be a Nazirite. 3) The priestly blessings. Fifth Aliyah - 41 verses On the day when the Tabernacle was inaugurated, the tribal leaders wished to bring inauguration gifts. As representative of their respective tribes, they wished to offer individual gifts and offering. G-d instructs Moses to accept these gifts, and each day one of the leaders brought their gifts. Although each leader brought identical gifts, the Torah describes each one individually.
S L E W
JE
M S I DA
U J F O
A person who wishes to take a vow of Nazirut must follow the laws enumerated in this week’s parsha. These laws really belong in the code of voluntary vows taken by individuals, found at the end of the Book of Bamidbar. One reason why they are placed here is that the Torah wished to juxtapose this subject with that of the sotah in order to suggest that witnessing a sotah’s disgrace which is brought about by immoderate drinking leading to immorality, should influenbce one to vow to abstain from wine.
Sixth Aliyah - 30 verses This section continues describing the tribal leaders’ gifts. Seventh Aliyah - 18 verses The gifts of all the leaders are added up and the totals given.
Why would someone wish to become a nazir?
Temple.
This week we examine the details of the Nazirite Oath
Grape Expectations
A person who commits to observing a period of nazirut is bound to the duration of the term (a minimum of thirty days), and must refrain from drinking wine and all grape derivatives, cutting their hair, and coming into contact with the dead.
no The Levi’im had retirement age e for working in th
Delve into the deeper side of Judaism
It may be due to a particular experience caused by the harmful influence of wine. It may stem from his conviction that it would be beneficial for him to abstain
from worldly pleasures. He may feel that he is preoccupied with the fulfillment of his physical desires, and he therefore cannot concentrate on Torah study and doing mitzvot. Only some drastic step to alter his habits, causing him to abstain from his usual pleasures, will change him. He therefore vows to observe these restrictions in the short term, to motivate him in other areas for
The best precaution against sinning is to distance onself from any temptation. the long term. Since wine can cause a person to lose clarity of mind, there is a strong connection between consuming alcohol and immoral behaviour. Therefore, it is prohibited during the nazirite term. There is even a prohibition to consume any derivatives of grapes, and is even restricted from walking through vineyards. Moreover, he will come to take greater care at parties
and special events. This will train him to find time for introspection. This is one of the sources for the Sage’s principle that the best precuation against sinning is to distance oneself from any temptation. The purpose of a haircut is to make a person look handsome. By letting his hair grow long, and then shaving it completely at the end of the term, is to encourage the nazir to banish all thoughts of beautifying his body. The reason for avoiding contact with dead bodies is because any person who sanctifies himself, is rewarded with additional holiness from Heaven. Hashem grants the nazir a level of holiness similar to a Kohen Gadol. Just as the High Priest may not contaminate himself with spiritual impurity even for his closest relatives, so too, the nazir is forbidden to contaminate himself .
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 Nasso is the 35th of 54 sedras 2nd of 10 in Bamidbar Written on 311 lines in a Torah 176 verses - ranks 1st (1st in Bamidbar) 2264 words - ranks 1st (1st in Bamidbar) 8632 letters - ranks 1st (1st in Bamidbar)
Did You Know This week’s parsha is the longest parsha in the Torah. Only 18 mitzvot are mentioned in this week’s parsha; 7 positive mitzvot and 11 prohibitions. This week’s parsha has 176 verses. The longest chapter in Tehillim (Chapter 119) has 176 verses. The longest book of the Talmud (Bava Batra) has 176 pages! The Rambam does not count Teshuva (Repentance) as one of the 613 mitzvot because repentance is a factor that underpins to every single mitzvah, as a remedy for their violation.
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!
How old did a Levi have to be to help transport the Mishkan? How much must be added to the principal when paying restitution? How much barley flour was brought as part of the Sotah offering? What type of sacrifice was the ram when brought by the Nazir? How much silver was given as a gift by all twelve Tribes? Which fifteen famous words are found in this week’s parsha, and when do we say them?
The name of Hashem is erased in water as part of the Sotah process, to reveal whether a wife was unfaithful. Hashem allows the erasure of His name to emphasise the lengths one must go to preserve peace in a marriage.
Just For Fun Question: Where do Nazirites go to university? Answer: Hairvard!
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 1. 1st Sivan. 2. Eliasaph ben Deuel. 3. 57,400. 4. Ephraim, Menashe & Benjamin. 5. The Ark, Table, Menorah, Altars, and Partition. BONUS: First person to enter the Red Sea.
L
KING AHEAD
COMMUNITY
In The Spotlight Bobby Wagman
K
EE STARTS THIS W
This week we celebrate the Barmitzvah of Bobby Wagman, son of Nadine and Antony.
EDUCATION
The Wagmans moved to Hale from Whitefield in 2013. Since arriving, Bobby has been active in the programmes at the Youth House with Rabbi Nick and Shira. In fact, ‘active’ is a perfect way to describe Bobby’s personality. He enjoys many sports, though he has a particular interest in anything that uses a board, like skateboarding and wakeboarding. Nadine is hoping he will learn how to use an ironing board too. Bobby is excited to be celebrating this weekend with friends and family, especially his older sister, Holly, and brother, Jamie, who has just completed his degree in Leeds.
BEYOND HALE
We are honoured to welcome proud grandparents Freeda and Eric Wagman to Hale this weekend, and we remember Nadine’s parents, Ruth and Alec King, who will be celebrating in spirit. We wish Bobby and his family Mazaltov, and we thank them for their hospitality.
Mazaltov to For more information, please contact Rabbi Aharon - 07817 780 193
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
Nadine & Antony Wagman on the occasion of Bobby’s barmitzvah. Gideon Zucker, and to Jennifer & David Zucker on Gideon’s forthcoming marriage to Jodi Loebenberg.