Yeshiva World News

Ba'chodesh ha'shevi'i b'echad la'chodesh yih'yeh lachem Shabbason Zichron Teruah Mikra Kodesh (23:24) The Gemora in Rosh Hashana (29b) points out that in Parshas Pinchas (Bamidbar 29:1), the Torah refers to Rosh Hashana as Yom Teruah – the day of blowing the shofar – while Parshas Emor calls it Zichron Teruah – a remembrance of the shofar blasts. The Gemora explains that Parshas Pinchas discusses a scenario when Rosh Hashana falls out during the week and the shofar is actually sounded. ...

The parsha starts off with the pasuk- ‘Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: Let none [of you] defile himself for a dead person among his people. (21;1) The apparent question here is why the need for the double loshon? Rashi quotes a gemara which says 'to warn the elders on the youngsters'. But why here is there a necessity to mention that the elders should warn the younger ones not to transgress an aveira? Why davka by this aveira and not any other aveira? We can ...

This week’s Haftorah, a short Nevuah by the Prophet Amos, reflects both of this week’s Sedros. In Achrei-Mos Hashem forbids all sorts of relationships thereby declaring them to be illicit. The Torah tells us that in the event we do in fact allow such forbidden relationships, Eretz-Yisroel will actually ‘spit out’ Klal-Yisroel. In Parshas Kedoshim Hashem again warns us not to tolerate these various unlawful relationships. The Navi echoes in the Haftorah the words of the Sedra by ...

Parshas Acharei Mos Fences of Holiness Do not imitate the practice of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not imitate the practice of the land of Canaan to which I bring you, and do not follow their traditions (Vayikra 18:3). The common theme running through Acharei Mos, Kedoshim and Emor is the kedushah (holiness) of Klal Yisroel and the need for its preservation and protection. In Acharei Mos, we are enjoined not to behave in the depraved manner of the Egyptians and ...

V'chai bahem (18:5) In Parshas Acharei Mos, we are commanded to guard Hashem's decrees and laws and live through them. From the Torah's emphasis on observing the commandments and living, the Gemora (Sanhedrin 74a) derives that the mitzvos were given to us in order to live, not to die. Therefore, if keeping one of the commandments will result in a potential danger to a person's life, he should disregard the law for the purpose of pikuach nefesh - in order to preserve his life, with the ...

‘You shall observe my Shabbos and revere my Sanctuary. I am Hashem.’ (19; 30) The juxtaposition of keeping Shabbos and fearing the Bais Hamikdash seem to be perplexing. Typically, when the pasuk speaks of two such mitzvos so close together, there is usually a similarity between the two. But here what can the connection be? Rashi seems to imply that it means the ‘construction of the Bais Hamikdashdoes not supersede the laws of Shabbos.’ However, this seems a bit difficult because our ...

This week’s Haftorah is named “the Four Metzoraim”. It is obvious that this Haftorah was chosen to be read because it discusses Metzoraim, the topic of this week’s Sedros. At first glance, the Haftorah seems not to have a real lesson for us. In Melachim (II Kings) this anecdote has a clear lesson, but we read it as an abstract clip out of context. Yet even in its context there seems to be little to be learned from the fact that some of the main characters were Metzoraim. When we look ...

Life and Death in the Hands of the Tongue Remember what Hashem, your God, did to Miriam on the way when you left Egypt (Devarim 24:9) Almost all of Tazria and most of Metzora are concerned with the intricate laws of tzora'as. Tzora'as afflicted people as a consequence of having spoken lashon hara. This is hinted to in Ki Seitzei, where the Torah warns us to be careful with respect to the laws of tzora'as and immediately thereafter to remember Miriam's punishment in the desert for speaking ...

Adam ki yih'yeh b'or besaro se'eis o sapachas o baheres v'haya b'or besaro l'negah tzara'as v'huva el Aharon HaKohen o el echad mi'banav ha'Kohanim (13:2) Parshas Tazria and Parshas Metzora primarily revolve around the subject of tzara'as - the different forms in which it can appear, the laws determining which afflictions are pure and which are impure, and the purification process for one who is stricken with tzara'as. The Gemora (Arachin 16a) teaches that one of the primary causes of ...

This weeks parsha discusses the affliction of tzara’as that occurs on ones house; nigei batim. The pasuk says (14; 33) ‘When you come to the land of Cana’an, which I am giving you as a possession, and I place a lesion of tzara'as upon a house in the land of your possession.’ Rashi comments that it’s’ a ‘besura tova’, good news, because the Emorim who lived there for the forty years while klal Yisroel traveled in the midbar hid their gold and silver in the wall of their ...

This week's Haftorah (Shmuel II, 6) contains many lessons. The Haftorah recounts the Aron HaKodesh's (Holy Ark’s) long journey back from the Plishtim. Dovid Hamelech first attempted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem with a festive parade on a brand new oxen-drawn cart. The Navi tells us that Dovid and the entire multitude that were accompanying the Aron HaKodesh played musical instruments in front of it. When the procession reached Goren Nachon, the Ark’s weight shifted so that it appeared in ...

Vayomer Moshe el Aharon hu asher dibeir Hashem leimor bikrovai ekadeish v’al p’nei kol ha’am ekaveid vayidom Aharon (10:3) Parshas Tzav concludes by describing the service that Moshe performed for seven days to inaugurate the Mishkan. Parshas Shemini begins with the climax of this period, which was reached on the eighth day, at which time Aharon and his sons were consecrated to serve as Kohanim. Tragically, just at the peak of the joy of the inauguration ritual, Aharon’s two oldest ...

‘Then Moshe said to Aaron, "This is what Hashem spoke, [when He said], 'I will be sanctified through those near to Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' And Aaron was silent.” (10; 3) After the passing of his two sons, Moshe begins to console Aaron by repeating what Hashem had told him. A few pasukim later it states that Moshe relayed to Aaron, yet again: “And Moshe said to Aaron and to Elazar and to Isamar, his sons, ‘Do not leave your heads unkempt, and do not rend ...

The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Chol-Hamoed. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch and Ramah, and the Mishna Berura, unless stated otherwise. They are based on my understanding of the aforementioned texts through the teachings of my Rebeim. As individual circumstances ...

The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Yom Tov. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch and Ramah, and the Mishna Berura, unless stated otherwise. They are based on my understanding of the aforementioned texts through the teachings of my Rebeim. As individual circumstances are ...

One of the most essential fundamentals of the night of the seder is to encourage our children to ask questions and provide them with proper answers. We purposely execute out of the ordinary practices to evoke their curiosity with hope they will ask. To the extent that the ba’al hagada breaks down and categorizes four different types of children who ask four different kinds of questions, and then gives four different styled answers. It is interesting to note that the question of the rasha ...

אם על תודה יקריבנו (ז, יב) כל הקרבנות בטלין לעתיד לבוא חוץ מתודה (ויקרא רבה) ‘All korbanos will be annulled with the coming of Moshiach, except for the korban todah.’ The korbanos Chatas and Asham, which were brought for one who sinned, will be nonexistent when Moshiach arrives because at that time man will not sin anymore; there won’t be that same yetzer hara as we have now. However, the same Chazal notes that we will still ...