Tazria 5776

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Parshat Tazria Rosh Chodesh - Hachodesh

Service Times

29 Adar II 5776 8 April 2016

Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat

19:00

(Candle Lighting)

19:00

Shacharit

09:00

Leining

10:00

Mincha, Seudah & Ma’ariv

19:40

Shabbat terminates

20:52

Weekday Shacharit Mincha & Ma’ariv

Security team: Blue

Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz

Leining

R. Chodesh

Maftir

Haftarah

608 698 460

890 1062 695

348 406 253

1218 1502 1001

Thought For The Week Patchy Signals

Sun

09:00

19:30

Mon

07:00

19:30

Tues

07:00

19:30

In the first of two Parshiot dealing with

tine someone with suspected tzara’at for

Wed

07:00

19:30

tzara’at, it is helpful to try to understand

seven days, to see if the symptoms would

Thur

07:00

19:30

this Biblical punishment of physical disfig-

disappear. If they did not, he would be

Fri

07:00

19:00*

urement, even though it no longer affects

exiled permanently.

Candle Lighting

19:00

* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

able as leprosy or a form of psoriasis, as

Chayim Arukim

to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows

Sun

10 April 2 Nisan

Mon

11 April 3 Nisan

Thurs

14 April 6 Nisan

Fri

15 April 7 Nisan

‫שבת‬

16 April 8 Nisan

us. Tzara’at is only partially understandits symptoms were complex and variable, involving white or pink patches appearing not only on the body but also on houses

Linda Science Rita Leigh

Father Father

Angela Watch Helen, Lisa & Jonathan Watch

Husband

Bnai Yisrael received physical signals when

Father

Muriel Davies Tony Raynes Edward Cobb Ronald Polak

Father Father Father Mother

their behaviour was not up to scratch.

Harvey Beaver Jonathan Lever Nigel Spier

Sister Mother Father

Ian Keller Michael Levy

Mother Mother

Kiddushim 9 April Victor Levenson 16 April Natalie & Jason Zemmel 23 April Unsponsored

and possessions. What is clear is that

Banishment seems like a severe punishment, especially since tzara’at was not contagious. Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky explains that the seven days of isolation were designed to force the sinner to reflect on his actions and the need to do teshuva (repent) to fix his anti-social behaviour, which would hopefully cure his

In Sefer Bamidbar, Miriam was punished

physical symptoms. Tzara’at was just the

with tzara’at for talking about her brother,

Divine wake-up call, but the punishment

Moshe. From this, we understand that

was imposed by the Kohen on behalf of

the various sins of speaking about other

his community, because they were the

people – Lashon Hara – are revealed and

victims of his Lashon Hara.

punished through tzara’at. The Torah recognised the destructive impact of slan-

Rabbi Joel Portnoy

der and gossip on the whole of society.

The Kohen was empowered to quaran-

Shabbat Weather AM Rainy 9o High 1o Overnight Low

Parsha

verview

First Aliyah - 13 verses A woman who gives birth contracts ritual purity. The timeframe of this period of impurity differs depending whether the child is a boy or girl. At the conclusion of this period, the woman immerses in a mikvah and is required to bring certain offerings in the Temple.

The Torah then begins discussing the laws of tzara’at, a skin discoloration ,often inaccurately translated as “leprosy”, which renders a person ritually impure. A person with symptoms of tzara’at must be seen by a Kohen. If the discoloration is suspicious, the priest will immediately declare the individual impure or quarantine him for up to two weeks.

Second Aliyah - 12 verses At the conclusion of the quarantine period, the priest either declares the individual pure or impure. The Torah then discusses what is done after various developments of the discolouration.

Third Aliyah - 6 verses The laws of tzara’at which appears following an inflammation on the skin.

Fourth Aliyah - 5 verses The laws of tzara’at which appears following a burn to the skin.

Fifth Aliyah - 11 verses 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.

Sixth 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 is shown to a priest who quarantines it for up to two weeks.

Seventh Aliyah - 5 verses At the conclusion of the quarantine period, depending on the circumstances the garment is either declared pure, or completely burnt, or only the part which was discoloured is torn out and burnt.

It was more important to in a preserve peace for a marriage than a spot Kohen to judge of tzara’at as impure.

S L E W

JE

M S I DA

U J F O

Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we look at the different levels of trust one can have in Hashem

Trust Me The laws of tzara’at teach a lesson concerning the exactitude of Divine Providence.

According to the teachings of Torah, if two white hairs were visible within the diseased area, he was declared impure and was expelled from his circle of family and friends. How can the Torah subject someone’s fate to the presence or absence of a hair?

The message is that there are no chance occurrences. Even the growth of a hair on a person’s body may not be attributed to mere coincidence. Rather, the hair appeared or failed to appear as dictated by the Divine Will. The laws of tzara’at teach us that we must regard every occurence in life as brought about by Divine Providence.

Divine Providence is attuned to the level of a person’s bitachon (trust in G-d). Rabbeinu Bachaye (1225-1340) lists ten levels of trust, all of which are usually traversed by people in life. They are all incomplete except for the last and highest.

A baby knows only the security and nourishment of his mother.



 As the child’s intelligence develops, his world is still centred around his mother, and he considers her the source of strength and security.

The growing child begins to realise that his family are dependent on the father’s support too. He therefore shifts his trust



He believes that he is the master of his own fate, and that his prosperity and success depend on his profession. and confidence to his father.

The adolescent becomes increasingly self-reliant.

He often goes through a stage in which he believes that he is the master of his own fate, and that his prosperity and success depend on his chosen profession.



 Or, if he does not work, he relies on other human beings. 

Eventually, he realis-

es that there are areas in life which are beyond human control, for example, health and sickness.

He will then set his confidence to G-d, entreating Him to be spared from evil.  A higher level is to refuse to endanger himself for the sake of earning money in a trade that is injurious to his health, trusting that Hashem will assist even if he abstains from such occupations.  Realising that all events are caused by Hashem, he is motivated to work simply to respect G-d’s wish that a person not sit idly.  As his knowledge deepens, he realises that all facets of his life, his financial position, his health, etc. have been determined for by G-d with his best interests in mind.  The ultimate recognition is occupying his time with learning about G-d, in order to come close to Him in the World To Come.

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 is the 27th of 54 sedras 4th of 10 in Vayikra Written on 128 lines in a Torah 67 verses - ranks 48th (8th in Vayikra) 1010 words - ranks 48th (8th in Vayikra) 3667 letters - ranks 48th (8th in Vayikra)

Did You Know There are 7 mitzvot in this week’s parsha: 5 positive mitzvot and 2 prohibitions.

One reason why a woman who has given birth becomes ritually impure is to show the sharp contrast between life and death. Tumah (impurity) represents an absence of life, brought about when the child emerges into the world, leaving her womb devoid of Taharah (the purity of life).

QA &

The expertise of a Kohen in the area of tzara’at is both an art and a science. Dozens of shades of white and other colours had to be distinguishable to the Kohen.

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 long does a woman who gives birth remain ritually impure for?

How long does the initial quarantine period last for someone with tzara’at?

What colour hair would appear in a ‘netek’ affliction?

What colour is the tzara’at affliction in an item of clothing?

Which types of materials were able to contract a tzara’at affliction?

What would a Kohen’s desicion be if the patch of tzara’at appeared the same size after the first quarantine period?

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

Doctor: I never make rash promises!

Answers: 1. 40 days for a boy, 80 for a girl.

2. One week.

3. Golden.

4. Red or green.

5. Wool, linen, or leather.

BONUS: To quarantine him for another week.

KING AHEAD

L

YOUTH

In The Spotlight

PESACH

Victor Levenson and Wendy Lawson

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Hale Shule welcomes UJIA Magic Moments 2016

BEYOND HALE

The Hale Community is delighted to welcome a UJIA Magic Moments delegation of Israeli teenagers from the Galil, UJIA’s partnership in northern Israel, to mark Yom Hazikaron 5776.

On Shabbat 7th May, six Israeli teenagers will speak at our community Seudah Shlishit, together with the Bowdon community.

For more information please contact Rabbi Nick T: 0161 980 8071

E: nick@hale-community.org.uk

This week we celebrate the forthcoming marriage of Victor Levenson to Wendy Lawson. The happy couple had known each other in Glasgow, but had not been in touch for over 30 years, until a mutual friend re-introduced them. In that time they have moved around; Victor moved to London, and then to Hale in 2003, and Wendy first moved to Australia, before also moving to London, and finally settling with Victor in Hale.

They are being joined by family and friends from all over the world; Scotland, London, Israel, Australia, Belgium, Canada, and even Kenya. Wendy is fortunate to be celebrating with her mother, Bernice Lawson, and her brothers, Jeremy and Tim, and Victor is joined by his mother, Rose Sinclar, as well as his daughters, Leah Rochel and Hasia.

We wish Wendy and Victor a happy and healthy life together, and we thank them for their hospitality.

Mazaltov to 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

Victor Levenson on the occasion of his aufruf and forthcoming marriage to Wendy Lawson.