Mi'Mizrach Shemesh Emor/Yom Haatzmaut

בס"ד

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A Fuchs Mizrachi Stark High School Publication

Candle Lighting: 8:06 Havdala: 9:12

Note: The Halachic times listed here are from www.myzmanim.com.

How to Build the Beit HaMikdash By Seth Weiss, 12 th Grade

In Parashat Emor we read about the

Kohanim and various Korbanot offered in the

Beit HaMikdash. Towards the end we hear about

the different holidays we are commanded to

observe. It seems to me that this Parashah

consists of what goes into a Beit Hamikdash-not

exactly the physical things, but more of the

people, offerings and timings. Seems like

everything connects just fine. Except there is this

one part of Emor in Perek 23 Pasuk 22, just as

Revii is about to close, that discusses the concept

of Pe’ah. Pe’ah is the idea that one should not

collect the crops grown in the corners of a field,

but instead should leave them for the poor and

the strangers.

One could understand this mitzvah as it

is talking about Tzedaka, which is pretty much

what it is in the end, but it doesn’t really fit in

with the idea of the Beit Hamikdash. So what it is

doing here? Pe’ah actually falls into the category

of two other similar mitzvot. They are Leket and

Shichecha, both similar to the idea of leaving

food in your field for the poor and strangers of

the land. Rashi quotes R. Avdimi ben R. Yosef

who has the same question we do. Why is this

mitzvah of Pe’ah placed right before we hear

about Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh HaShanah, and

Yom Kippur? And why is it placed right after we

have talked about the Kohanim and the various

Korbanot?

They answer this question by telling us

that one who keeps the mitzvot of Pe’ah, Leket,

and Shichecha are as if they themselves have

built the Beit Hamikdash and offered Korbanot.

That’s a creative answer, but how does that

concept make sense? How is keeping the mitzvot

of Pe’ah, Leket, and Shichecha equal to building

the Beit Hamikdash and giving a Korban?

Emor Friday, May 2, 2014 / ד"תשע אייר' ב

Special Yom Haatzmaut Edition!

http://www.myzmanim.com/

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The Be’er Yitzchak answers this by telling

us that Korbanot are not truly gifts to Hashem.

Rather they are for the purity of our hearts.

Sacrifices or gifts for the poor and strangers go

hand in hand. As long as our hearts are pure and

we acknowledge that nothing is ours and

everything comes from Hashem, Pe’ah and

sacrifices to Hashem are no different. When one

is more successful than his fellow, he must

realize that all that he has comes from Hashem

and share it with the less fortunate. It is just like

when we learn Torah. Sure we should all aspire

to be great chachamim, but we must also

remember to teach others so we can grow as a

whole nation, and not just as one person. Once

we are building up our nation and giving to

others it is like we are building the Beit

Hamikdash and giving Korbanot ourselves.

Avoiding Distractions By Zak Fleischman, 10 th Grade

In this week’s Parashah, Parashat Emor a

multitude of subjects are discussed from holidays

to the Omer. However, the most interesting and

somewhat controversial topic in the Parashah is

the Halachot of disallowing kohanim from

service in the Beit HaMikdash. In Sheni, the

Torah speaks of Kohanim who are disallowed

from service when they have physical

impairments. Kohanim are banned from service

if they have an odd nose, limp, or even overly

bushy eyebrows. This seems odd and even

contradictory to what we know about Hashem

and how he views us. We believe that hashem

views us all equally so why should one eyebrow

length or thickness change that?

The answer is not what we would like to

admit, but it is because we are concerned with

our physical likeness. In the morning when we

wake up we don’t think about our spirituality or

our Middot which we plan to do. We think about

if our hair look good, if we are feeling well, or we

have a clean shirt. A Kohen who has an odd

physical trait will not always be distracted by

their oddity but it will always linger. If a Kohen

does become distracted then he cannot do his job

correctly; a Kohen with an odd physical trait will

be more likely to do this than others.

If a person brings a Korban they are

supposed to have their mind set on happiness or

wanting forgiveness and having someone who

has interesting features could distract them. The

Torah is saying the truth and it’s necessarily so

easy to cope with. It is saying that although there

is nothing wrong with you as a person, you

cannot do something in the exalted position of

Kehuna, because your mindset will not always

be 100% focused. While the reality is unfortunate,

we must strive to be the best people we can

spiritually and always stay focused to our

spiritual aspirations.

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The Beauty of Bein Adam L'Chaveiro By Jenna Fox, 12 th Grade

At the end of this week’s Parashah we are

told a short story about somebody cursing G-d's

name. It says: "And the son of the Israelite

woman pronounced G-d's name and cursed."

The Parashah goes on and says that Bnei

Yisrael brought this person to Moshe, and Moshe

asked Hashem what he should do to punish him.

Hashem commanded Moshe to take this person

outside of the camp and to have the entire

community stone him.

But this is when I think the Parashah gets

a little confusing. After we hear what this

person's sentence should be, the Torah goes on a

rant about a bunch of other sins, and what their

punishments are. It says: "And if a man strikes

down any human being he shall be put to death.

And one who slays an animal shall pay for it the

value of a life that he took." (24:17-18) And it

continues on.

Why are we taking this break from the

story just to add in random Halachot that

seemingly have no connection to the story?As we

all know, the Torah never randomly sticks things

in places without a reason so what is the reason

here?

I think the reason that these Halachot

were placed here is because they are all Halachot

of Bein Adam L'Chaveiro. Since we are all

learning about the great punishment one receives

when he curses G-d's name, we take a step back

to add in the important lesson that just as

respecting Hashem is important, respecting the

animals and people around us is also important.

Once we learn that lesson, we can continue to

read the end of the story.

I think this is a lesson that we all can take

for ourselves. As members of the Jewish nation,

naturally every move or action we make is

examined by everyone around us. This could be

a bad thing, but it is also a great thing! It is

important to follow Halacha and try everyday to

be the best Jews we can be but more importantly

the best people we can be. We should hold the

door for the person who has too many things in

their hand to do it themselves. We should

welcome in new people with open arms and a

kind heart. Getting excited about Judaism and

having a positive attitude is easy and we should

take advantage of every opportunity we get to

help others do the same. We have the power to

influence people in a positive way, and it's a

bonus that while we do this, we are fulfilling

Mitzvot that are Bein Adam L'Chaveiro.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Come Home By Zach Zlatin, 11 th Grade

When I was younger, every time our class

went on a field trip we were told one very

important thing, to make a Kiddush Hashem.

This phrase was meant to act as a guard for our

mouths and actions. It stopped us from

screaming and going crazy and made sure that

we were mensches while we were out in public.

We were forced to think about everything we did

and to make sure we didn't desecrate Hashem's

name, or make a Chillul Hashem.

It says in this week's parsha: ".... תחללו ולא

ם את י ש קדש " "You shall not desecrate My Holy

Name..." Our sages teach us that Chillul Hashem

is such a paramount מצוה, that one can only atone

for it by making a Kiddush Hashem, to sanctify

His name. The greatest Kiddush Hashem is that

which involves all Jews.

There is a less familiar story of אל that יחזק

truly shows the ultimate Kiddush Hashem. At

the time of יחזקאל, Bnei Yisrael had been exiled

from ישראל ארץ and their enemies mocked them

that Hashem could not even save them. Hashem

could not stand His name being desecrated, so he

went and took Bnei Yisrael out of exile and back

to ישראל ארץ , their homeland. Hashem proved

that He is omnipotent and did not abandon His

people.

The reason Bnei Yisrael was mocked, and

why we are still mocked today, is because we are

strangers in the land in which we live in. We are

not native to the land, and it is not our

homeland. Regardless of how developed and

open-minded a country is, deep down they know

that we, the Jews do not belong with them. And

the fact that we are still living among them gives

off the impression that Hashem is weak and can't

even take His people out of exile. To reverse this

disturbing Chillul Hashem we can only do one

thing.

We, as Jews of the Diaspora, have the

responsibility to make Aliyah and to move to the

land that Hashem has promised us, ישראל ארץ . It

is not always easy to make Aliyah, but it is our

duty to do so, and make a Kiddush Hashem. To

show the rest of the nations that AM YISRAEL is

STRONG! We must show them by our admirable

actions and by our accomplishments that even

the smallest of nations, to put it simply, can be

great. Our actions will speak for themselves and

prove to the non-Jews that Hashem is truly

omnipotent and really hasn't given up on his

people. This would be the greatest Kiddush

Hashem of all.

It is my wish that each and every one here

in this community looks internally and asks

themselves, what is keeping me from making

Aliyah? There will always be excuses for you not

to go. There isn't a perfect government, or there

isn't a guaranteed job in Israel, or your kids are

too young or old. But nowhere is there a perfect

government. At least come and interview for jobs

like everyone else in Israel, and your kids will

adjust, make friends and learn the language

faster than you. You have to take risks in your

life that will be better in the long run, and there is

no better reward than being in the land that

Hashem has promised us and being part of a

Kiddush Hashem, instead of a Chillul Hashem.

בס"ד

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Let go of the weight that keeps you in the

Diaspora. Get out of your slavery to comfort and

materialism. Open your golden cages that you

have imprisoned yourself in and come home.

Come home to your brothers and sisters that wait

for you.

Carrying Yourself By Yonah Bar-Shain, 9th Grade

We were all taught in elementary school

that no word in the Torah is superfluous,

however, it seems as if 3 phrases in the seventh

Aliyah this week are really just not needed.

2 'Command the children of

Israel that they bring unto

thee pure olive oil beaten for

the light, to cause a lamp to

burn continually.

ל, -צו את ב בני ישרא

ליך שמן זית זךויקחו א

ית להעלת למאור: --כת

יד. נר, תמ

3 Without the veil of the

testimony, in the tent of

meeting, Aaron shall set it

up from evening to morning

continually; it shall be a

statute forever throughout

your generations.

דת ג חוץ לפרכת הע מ

ד, יערך אתו באהל מוע

ערב עד פני -אהרן מ בקר ל

יד: --ה' חקת עולם, תמ

יכם. לדרת

4 He shall order the lamps

upon the pure candlestick

before the LORD

continually.{P}

הרהעל ד נרה הט , המ

ני הנרות, -רך אתיע לפ

יד. ה' }פ{ , תמ

These three phrases are: “Zach” (pure),

“Lifnei Hashem” (before G-d), and “Menorah

HatTehorah” (the pure menorah). Why would

Hashem need to tell us these seemingly obvious

things regarding the laws of the Mishkan? Isn’t it

a given that everything we do in the mishkan has

to be holy and pure. And if it is Hashem’s house

won’t it always be before Hashem?

There are two main reasons for having

these words here. Firstly, they are here to

emphasize the mentality we should have in the

Mishkan and the way we must approach things

there. Hashem didn’t want these ideas to be in

the back of our minds while serving in the

Mishkan, rather he wanted these things to be

part of the backbone of how we see serving

Hashem.

The second reason for having these extra

words is to teach us how to act in real life.

Although we can’t always be perfect human

beings, Hashem wants us to always have these

three ideas on our mind where ever we are.

Knowing that you have to always be pure, holy,

and in front of Hashem can change the way we

lives our lives in a great way. If you are ever at a

fork in the road between something good and

bad, and you have these three ideas on your

mind, you will most likely choose the way of

Middot and good deeds rather than the way of

something bad and wrong deeds.

בס"ד

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Safe at Home! By Ari Bar-Shain, 12 th Grade

In Parashat Vayeshev, Yosef is unfairly

heaved by his brothers into a pit teeming with

scorpions and vermin. The Rambam in Hilchot

Rotzeach UShmirat Nefesh Perek Gimmel

Halachot 9 and 10 outlines different scenarios in

which one who pushes someone else into a place

of unavoidable death is considered a murderer.

Some examples include: "he placed a colleague in

a house or a cave and filled it with smoke until

he died," "he uncovers the roof of the building

where he was staying; or he causes a snake to

bite him." According to the Rambam, what Bnei

Yaakov do to their brother in Parshat Vayeshev

is tantamount to fratricide!

Rav Chaim Volozhiner offers an

explanation that humanizes the brothers a bit

more, and discredits the egregious capital crime.

He comments that one is safer in a pit infested

with dangerous scorpions and snakes in Eretz

Yisrael than they are in the palatial havens of

Chutz LaAretz. Rav Chaim's suggestion needs to

be studied. What exactly is he saying?

I think that he is proposing that we are

better off living in Israel surrounded by danger

than we are dwelling in a seemingly safe

America. While the brothers cast Yosef into the

chasm it might have actually been for the better.

It certainly teaches us an important lesson. Safety

is all relative in our eyes. We can't see the big

picture. The truth is that Hashem watches out for

us more when we are in His Land-Eretz Yisrael.

Due to our proximity to Hakadosh Baruch Hu

we are more secure in Israel.

This holds true now even more than ever

before as people constantly complain about how

dangerous Israel is, and how it's full of terrorists.

While some parts of this might be true, we

ultimately have to remember that Hashem

shelters us more in His Land than he does for

anyone else.

Based off of Rav Moshe Lichtman’s "Eretz Yisrael

in the Parasha."

Shabbat Shalom and Moadim L'Simcha!

Kohen? By Rav Rick Schindelheim

ם תחללו ולא( לב י את־ש י קדש ל בני בתוך ונקדשת יקוק אני ישרא

שכם ארץ אתכם המוציא( לג: מקד צרים מ לאלקים לכם להיות מ

יקוק אני :

“And you shall not desecrate my holy name;

and I shall be sanctified amidst the Children of Israel.

I am Hashem who sanctifies you, who brought you out

of Egypt to be for you a God, I am Hashem.”

(Vayikra 22:22-23)

Who is sanctifying whom? On the one

hand, the Israelites are told that God's holiness is

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in their control. They are warned not to desecrate

His holy name and are told that His Kedusha

will come from "within Bnei Yisrael". On the

other hand, "I am Hashem who sanctifies you."

How are we to understand the meaning of this

circular Kedusha?

The Rabbis referred to the book of

Vayikra as "Torat Kohanim," "Laws of the

Priests." One could assume that this is because

Vayikra deals with laws that pertain to the

Kohanim such as the sacrificial order and the

beginning of this week's parashah, which

describes the way kohanim must live their lives.

However, upon further review, it becomes clear

that Vayikra contains many more laws

concerning the entirety of Am Yisrael than those

referring only to the kohanim. For example, a

large portion of this week's parashah discusses

the holidays. Vayikra also teaches the laws of

kashrut, sexual regulations, laws relating to the

Promised Land and still others that are not

directed specifically towards the kohanim. If so,

why is it called Torat Kohanim? Why did the

Rabbis choose a name that seems misleading?

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, among others,

suggests that the answer to this question lies in

Sefer Shemot. Just before revealing Himself to

the Nation of Israel at Har Sinai, God tells Moshe

to relay the following message:

ם־שמוע ועתה( ה שמעו א י ושמרתם בקלי ת ית לי והייתם את־בר

ים סגלה כל־העמ היו־לי ואתם( ו: כל־הארץ כי־לי מ ממלכת ת

לה קדוש וגוי כהנים ים א ל אל־בני תדבר אשר הדבר ישרא :

“And now, if you will listen to my voice and guard

my covenant and be for me a treasure from all the

nations—for the entire earth is mine; then you will be

for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These

are the words you shall speak to the Children of

Israel.” (Shemot 19:5-6)

The designation "kohanim" does not

strictly apply to the descendants of Aaron, but

can apply to the entire nation of Israel as well. So

what does it mean for the people of Israel to be a

"kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation"?

It emerges from various parts of Vayikra

that kedusha is attained through separation and

restriction for an elevated purpose. Yom Kippur

is the holiest day of the year due to its many

restrictions. This holiness enables us to achieve

atonement for our sins. The Kodesh Kodashim or

Holy of Holies (inner sanctum of the Temple) is

thus named due to the fact that entrance to it is

restricted to the Kohen Gadol—only, on Yom

Kippur—only. The kohanim are set aside as well,

through their restrictive lifestyle, for the purpose

of serving as the intermediaries between God

and His nation.

The same way that Parshat Emor

describes how the kohanim will become kadosh

by living with these restrictions, the majority of

Sefer Vayikra describes how Bnei Yisrael will

become kadosh by living with their own

restrictions. We now understand how Hashem

makes Bnei Yisrael holy—by living our lives

according to His commandments we become

kadosh, designated for an exalted purpose. That

purpose is to serve as a "kingdom of priests and a

holy nation." God has sanctified us by shining

the light of His commandments upon us. We can

now become God's partner and sanctify Him by

shining that light on the rest of the world.

Shabbat Shalom!

בס"ד

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Shabbat Table Discussion Questions: By Avi Hartstone, 10 th Grade

1. Why is a Kohen not allowed to become impure for his sister if she is married? (21:3)

2. If we are supposed to respect everyone regardless of their physique, why can’t Kohanim with blemishes

serve in the Beit HaMikdash? (21:21)

3. Why can't blemished animals be offered? (22:17-25)

4. Why is Shavuot not mentioned as the time Hashem gave the torah? (23:15- 21)

5. Why are the halachot of harming people or animals placed in the middle of the blasphemer story? (24:15-22)

Email us at [email protected] with your answers or submit them on our website, fmsdvartorah.weebly.com, and you could be featured in

next week's edition!

Brought to you by:

Staff:

Editors in Chief- Ari Bar-Shain and Zev Karasik

Associate Editors- Eli Meyers, Etan Soclof, and Yosef

Coleman

Faculty Consultant-Rav Rick Schindelheim

Distribution Manager-Rivka Coleman

Faculty Manager-Yael Blau

Head Writers-Avi Hartstone and Zak Fleischman

Student Writers: o Alan Soclof

o Ami Shamir

o Amital Haas

o Aviva Muskin

o Ben Jaffe

o Bentzion Goldman

o Ian Lorand

o Ilan Senders

o Jenna Fox

o Jennifer Brenis

o Joey Frank

o Joey Senders

o Lizzy Soclof

o Michael Brenis

o Miriam Pincus

o Mordechai Blau

o Sarah Pincus

o Seth Weiss

o Sonny Kugelman

o Talya Engelhart

o Yonah Bar-Shain

o Yonaton Shiller

o Zach Zlatin

o Ziva Bibbins

!מחהלש מועדיםו שבת שלום Please be sure to check out our new website: fmsdvartorah.weebly.com!

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Mi'Mizrach Shemesh Emor/Yom Haatzmaut