Tazria Metzorah 5777

Sponsored in loving memory of Harold Cobb z”l Zvi Hersh ben Eliezer z”l

Service Times Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat

19:00

(Candle Lighting)

19:00

Shacharit

09:15

Leining

10:15

Mincha & ‘Magic

20:15

Shabbat Ends

21:33

Moments’ Seudah

g n i h t e Som e n o y r e v for E

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Parshat Tazria

2 Iyar 5777 28 April 2017

Security team: Pink

Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz

Leining

Haftarah

608 698 460

1172 1433 477

Weekday Shacharit

Mincha & Ma’ariv

Sun

09:00

19:30

Mon

09:00

19:30

Tues

07:00

19:30

Wed

07:00

19:30

Thur

07:00

19:30

Fri

07:00

19:00*

Thought For The Week The Second Look When the Torah describes the initial meet-

and sent him on his way. His students

ing between a Kohen and a suspected

pressed him to explain his actions. After all,

* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

metzorah (a person afflicted with tzara’at),

he never answered the question!

Chayim Arukim

it says that the Kohen must inspect the

Candle Lighting

19:10

to Lawrence Fruhman on the loss of his mother, and to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows

suspected patch of skin. However, the Torah employs the word for looking on two separate occasions. Why does the Torah

Anne Finestein Trevor Duschenes Helyn Orchant Lawrence Orchant

Mother Mother Husband Father

Sun

Lorraine Wolff Naomi Wright

Father Brother

Mon

Joe Rich Michael Levy Roy Gabbie

Father Father Mother

a ‘second look’. It is not enough to form

Sybil Weisberg Stephen Lentin Ella Lentin

Father Father Husband

are encouraged to pause and reflect on our

Sandra Jaffa Jacqueline Luft

Mother Sister

not misjudged. This can have far-reaching

‫שבת‬

29 April 3 Iyar

30 April 4 Iyar 1 May 5 Iyar

Tues

2 May 6 Iyar

Wed

3 May 7 Iyar

Thurs 4 May 8 Iyar

Fri

5 May 9 Iyar

Johnny Patoff Denise Miller

Father Husband

Doreen Torz Luise Ross Charles Greibach Francis Greibach

Mother Mother Father Father

repeat itself?

He explained that anybody asking if they can use milk must not have enough money for wine, so he gave him money for wine.

Further, anyone asking if they can have milk, must not have enough money to afford

One answer is to teach us that when we

meat, so he gave enough money to buy

are observing any situation, we must take

meat too.

opinions based on initial impressions. We initial reactions, and to ensure that we have ramifications for our inter-personal relationships.

He could only react like this because he took a ‘second look’; analysing the true implications of the man’s question. Imagine how miserable the man’s Pesach would have been if he had taken the question at face value!

The story is told of a man who came to

Rabbi Nick Kett

Rabbi Akiva Eiger to ask if he may use

Mazaltov to

milk to fulfill the mitzvah of the four cups

Michelle Sallon on the occasion of her 40th birthday.

of wine at his Pesach seder. Instead of

Shabbat Weather

answering the question, Rabbi Akiva Eiger

AM Mostly Cloudy

Jill & Steven Silver on the occasion of Charlotte’s wedding to David Silver.

gave the man a sizeable amount of money

14o High 4o Overnight Low

Parsha

S L E W

verview

JE

First Aliyah - 31 verses A woman who gives birth contracts ritual purity. The purification process is described. The Torah begins discussing the laws of tzara’at, a skin discoloration.

A person with symptoms must be seen by a Kohen. An individual can be quarantined for up to two weeks, and is declared pure or impure by a Kohen. The Torah then discusses various developments of the discolouration.

Second Aliyah - 16 verses The laws of tzara’at which appears following a burn to the skin.

Tzara’at can also affect the areas on the body covered by hair. The symptoms and laws of such a tzara’at are quite different than standard tzara’at.

Third Aliyah - 15 verses An individual with tzara’at must remain outside the city until his condition clears up. The Torah then discusses tzara’at on clothing. The garment also causes quarantine for up to two weeks.

Fourth Aliyah - 25 verses At the end of the quarantine period, the garment is reviewed. When the tzara’at has been healed, a unique purification ceremony is described, including shaving the entire body. The purification process is described.

Fifth Aliyah - 12 verses If the individual suffering from tzara’at cannot afford the above sacrifices, there is a different process.

Sixth Aliyah - 40 verses Homes, too, can be afflicted with tzara’at. A home can be quarantined for up to three weeks. In the most extreme situations, the house is demolished. The Torah then describes the purification process for such a home.

Seventh Aliyah - 18 verses The Torah discusses the ritual impurity of natural and unnatural seminal discharge, a menstruating woman, and of a man who cohabits with her.

Two of the 13 shortest verses in the Torah are found in this Parshat Metzorah (3 words each).

M S I DA

U J F O

Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we examine the problem of speaking lashon hara

Sticks and Stones A person is confronted daily with countless occasions for speaking lashon hara. The tongue is the organ which, of all the limbs and organs, moves with the least difficulty and greatest speed. Consequently, lashon hara is one of the sins committed most frequently. Also, since the effects of a spoken word are not tangible, as are those of a sin performed in deed, and therefore we tend to treat this offense more lightly than other Torah prohibitions. The tzara’at punishment is no longer in effect, and its threat does not deter us from speaking evil as it did in the time of the Temple. How then can we fortify ourselves against the temptation to speak lashon hara?

The Midrash offers several thoughts which serve as valuable pieces of advice.

Our Sages teach that every word which leaves a person’s mouth is recorded in Heaven. One day, all his words will be played back to him. A person should realise that a word once spoken does not evaporate without leaving

a trace, and therefore need to be taken seriously.  A person should consider the special position which G-d assigned to the tongue. It is ‘barricaded’ by two ‘barriers’; an inner wall of teeth and an outer barrier of the lips.

These are to help restrain us from speaking evil. Further, our Sages teach that the human finger is purposely designed to fit into the hole of one’s ear in order to train us to refuse to listen to inappropriate

A sword can only kill nearby, whereas lashon hara can destroy a reputation instantly speech, and our ear lobes are formed softer than the rest of the ear, so that it can be folded upwards to cover the ear drum, and shut out all lashon hara.



In order to brace oneself against slanderous speech, a person must acquaint himself with the major tragedies which such speech caused throughout the generations. 

For example, the troubles and punishments caused by the snake in the Garden of Eden, or by Joseph speaking about his brothers, or the bad report of the Ten Spies, and especially the baseless hatred which caused the destruction of the Second Temple, and which perpetuates our exile to this day.

The tongue is a potent weapon. A sword can only kill one nearby, whereas lashon hara, can destroy a reputation across the world, even instantly.  To be saved from lashon hara, one should pray daily to Hashem for assistance.

The Rabbis considered this so advantageous that they incorporated this request into our daily private Amidah prayer.  Finally, one can develop the habit to use their speech and listening for good purposes; the study of Torah and cultivating a humble character.

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 Tazria and Metzorah are the 27th and 28th of 54 sedras 4th and 5th of 10 in Vayikra Written on 287 lines in a Torah 157 verses 2284 words 8364 letters

Did You Know There are 20 mitzvot when these two parshiyot are combined: 18 positive mitzvot and 2 prohibitions.

Yom Hashoah Close to 1000 people attended this year’s Holocaust commemoration ceremony at the Audacious Conference Centre in Salford.

The fact that a house could be afflicted with tzara’at indicates the spiritual nature of the ‘disease’, as well as the importance one must take in ensuring their behaviour at home does not warrant an affliction.

The moving and inspirational event included the debut of a group of boys from Hale. Their performance was exceptional, and they were not phased by the large crowd. The choir was comprised of (L to R): Benji Fine, Shai Portnoy, Raphi Sallon, Solly Sallon, Asher Pincus, Saadia Ellituv and Joey Elias. They were led by Yonni Levy.

Tip #26 A Helping Hand

TEFILLAH TIPS

One of the first actions a Jew does after waking up is to wash his or her hands.

Traditionally, we do this with a cup, three times over each hand alternately. Afterwards, we recite the ‘al netilat yadayim’ blessing.

other reason is that each day we have a new opportunity to serve and bless our Creator. Like the Kohanim, who washed their hands before serving in the Temple, we also sanctify our hands and bless Hashem’s name.

Two reasons are given for this practice: One is that a person’s hands move about during the night and may have touched a part of the body for which washing hands is necessary in order to pray. An-

How empowering to learn that in addition to its sanitary importance, washing hands allows us to “dedicate” our hands, and through them, our whole body, for the renewed active service of G-d.

The numerical value of ‘nega tzara’at’ (883) is the same as ‘lo teileich rachil b’amecha’ (“do not be a talebearer”) to emphasise the link between lashon hara and the appearance of a tzara’at affliction. The cure for this is ‘midot tovot’ (good traits - 883), and then we will merit the Complete Redemption (‘tizku l’geula shleima = 883!)

Just For Fun Patient: Doctor, Doctor, will this ointment clear up my spots?

Doctor: I never make rash promises!

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KING AHEAD HYPE

In The Spotlight Michelle Sallon

THIS SHABBAT

For someone who has done so much to help us celebrate our Shule’s 40th birthday, it seems appropriate that Michelle has chosen to share her 40th birthday celebrations with the whole community.

Originally from London, Michelle settled in Hale with Ben 17 years ago.

Nowadays, hardly anything happens in the Shule without Michelle’s help or organisation. As Chair of the Ladies Guild and member of Council, we are grateful to her for all that she does, including the beautifully designed 40/30 Anniversary Recipe Book, the weekly Kiddushim, and the constant gestures of hospitality she and Ben show on a regular basis.

Outside of Shule, Michelle is a speech and language therapist, the proud mother of four wonderful children, and wife to an equally wonderful husband. Michelle is just weeks away from Solly’s barmitzvah, which, she says, starts the ‘next chapter’ of her next 40+ years.

We wish Michelle a very happy birthday, and we thank them for their hospitality.

Kiddushim

29 April Michelle & Ben Sallon 6 May Unsponsored 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

13 May Community Kiddush