Hebrew | Francais

Shabbat Parashat Shemini 5774

Shemini | 20 Adar II 5774 | 22/03/2014

Parashat Hashavua: The Main Thing is Either Intention or Result

Before commencing the regular service in the Mishkan, Aharon and Bnei Yisrael were commanded to offer special korbanot. Aharon was to bring a calf as a chatat (sin offering), and Bnei Yisrael were to bring a goat for a chatat and a calf and a sheep as an olah (burnt offering) (Vayikra 9:1-3). The Sifra (Shemini 1:3) relates that Moshe told Aharon that even though Aharon was forgiven for the sin of the Golden Calf, he still needed atonement for it. Yet, Moshe pointed out, Bnei Yisrael needed more atonement than Aharon did because not only did they need atonement for their involvement in the Golden Calf but also for the sale of Yosef, in which most of the forefathers of Bnei Yisrael were involved. Since the sale involved the slaughter of a goat (to cover up the disappearance of Yosef, making their father believe that Yosef was killed by a wild beast), they had to bring a goat as a chatat.

Ask the Rabbi: Cosmetic Surgery

What does halacha have to say about cosmetic surgery?

Ein Ayah: Details Prove Sanctity

[In the declaration upon fulfilling the mitzvot of ma’aser, one says] “… I did not stray from the mitzvot that You commanded me” – this means that “I did not take off ma’aser from one species onto another species, and not from the detached from the ground onto the attached to it or from the attached onto the detached, and not from the new onto the old or from the old onto the new.”

P'ninat Mishpat: Hasagat G’vul Regarding Franchise Arrangements with the Government

There is a new phenomenon which has come to destroy and to be masig g’vul (enter the domain of an existing business). There are stores in the region who have already paid for their franchise from the king to be involved in usury, and now others are coming, some clandestinely and some openly, to buy rights from the king so that they too can lend with interest. In doing so, they have ignored the cherem (ban) that has always been in place within the Italian community on this matter. It is also pertinent that we do not follow the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam which says that it is enough for someone to be willing to take part in the local taxes in order to have the right to compete with local businesses (see Bava Batra 21b). Rather, we hold like Rashi that he must have been taking part in paying local taxes beforehand.

Refuah Sheleimah

amongst the sick

of Klal Yisrael

for

Mr. Eliyahu ben Sara Zelda Carmel

Mrs. Racheli Bat Rozi Bouskila

Hemdat Yamim

is endowed by

Les & Ethel Sutker

of Chicago, Illinois
in loving memory of
Max and Mary Sutker
and

Louis and Lillian Klein, z”l

Hemdat Yamim

is dedicated

to the memory of:

R' Meir
ben

Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

Gershon (George)

ben

Chayim HaCohen Kaplan

o.b.m.

Rabbi Yosef Mordechai Simcha

ben Bina Stern o.b.m

who passed away

21 Adar I, 5774

R' Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha

and

Chana bat Yaish & Simcha

Sebbag, z"l

Shmuel Rozenhak
o.b.m
who passed away
Iyar 6, 5773

A weekly divrei Torah leaflet: A Glimpse at the Parasha, Ask the Rabbi, From the writings of Harav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l, Pninat Mishpat (Jewish Monetary Law).