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Shabbat Parashat Haazinu 5781

Ha'azinu | 8 Tishrei 5781 | 26/09/2020

Parashat Hashavua: Return, Except for You?

Rabbi Meir encouraged his former teacher, Elisha ben Avuya to return (i.e., repent). Elisha responded: “I have heard from behind the curtain (i.e., in the Heavenly court): ‘Return wayward sons, except for Acher (Elisha ben Avuya’s derogatory nickname)’” (Chagiga 15a). The Heavenly voice Elisha ben Avuya heard emanating from a secret place was strange. On the one hand, the whole world is called to teshuva (repentance). That is a concept that we know and appreciate. But what is the idea that someone specific is uninvited from seeking to repent?

Ask the Rabbi: Corona Policies and Clarifications for Yom Kippur

We will review some practical issues for Yom Kippur that are likely to come up this year, in the shadow of Corona. Although local rabbis will address many of them and public policy may change, we assume our discussion will be helpful.

Ein Ayah: Every Possible Negative Thought to Curse

Rav Acha bar Yaakov said: The curse [of Shimi ben Geira to David] which was described as nimretzet (powerful) is notrikon (an acronym) for [the following accusations of David]: He is an adulterer, a Moavite, a murderer, an enemy, and an abomination.

P'ninat Mishpat: Questionable Firing and its Financial Implications – part I

The plaintiff (=pl) began working in 2009 for the defendant (=def), an informal education organization, as the director of its midrasha, which runs educational tours for students. Pl was very successful for close to two years in his main task, expanding the midrasha’s reach. Def was unwilling to pay pl a set salary due to uncertainty about resources, and so pl agreed to a salary of 50% of net profits from the midrasha’s operations plus a set rate for tours he led. In 2011, the midrasha began receiving funding by the Education Ministry. This affected pl’s salary in two ways: He could no longer lead tours due to lack of a degree; the higher cost of tour leaders with degrees was higher, which lowered the net profits that made up his salary. Tensions between the sides grew over pl’s demands to rework his salary and complaints about how the process of joining up with the Education Ministry was done. A few months later, def fired pl (there were several months left on their contract). Pl demands payment until the contract’s completion, severance pay, and penalties for late payment (he received salary only after groups paid). Def respond that the firing was justified because pl began to disregard orders and was often unavailable (he began university studies). They point out that the contract states that pl waives severance pay and that, in any case, he was not a salaried work. Def countersued for having overpaid, as they did not factor in certain expenses when determining the net profits.

Shut questions on Corona
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Haazinu 5781
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Haazinu 5781

We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for:

Nir Rephael ben Rachel Bracha
Refael Yitchak ben Chana

Netanel Ilan ben Sheina Tzipora

Netanel ben Sarah Zehava

Meira bat Esther

Yair Menachem ben Yehudit Chana

Rivka Reena bat Gruna Natna

Lillian bat Fortune

Yafa bat Rachel Yente

Eliezer Yosef ben Chana Liba

Ro'i Moshe Elchanan ben Gina Devra

Esther Michal bat Gitel

Yehudit Sarah bat Rachel

Together with all cholei Yisrael

Hemdat Yamim is dedicated

to the memory of:

those who fell in wars

for our homeland

Eretz Hemdah's beloved friends

and Members of

Eretz Hemdah's Amutah

Rav Shlomo Merzel z”l
Iyar 10 5771

Rav Reuven Aberman z"l

Tishrei 9 5776

Mr. Shmuel Shemesh z"l
Sivan 17 5774

R' Eliyahu Carmel z"l

Rav Carmel's father

Iyar 8 5776

Mrs. Sara Wengrowsky

bat R’ Moshe Zev a”h.

Tamuz 10 5774

Rav Asher Wasserteil z"l

Kislev 9 5769

R' Meir ben

Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld z"l

Mrs. Sara Brachfeld z"l

Tevet 16 5780

R' Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha

and

Chana bat Yaish & Simcha

Sebbag, z"l

Rav Yisrael Rozen z"l
Cheshvan 13 5778

Rav Benzion Grossman z"l
Tamuz 23 5777

(Rav Moshe Zvi (Milton

Polin z"l

5778 Tamuz 19

R' Abraham Klein z"l

Iyar 18 5779

Mrs. Gita Klein z"l

4 Av

Hemdat Yamim
is endowed by Les & Ethel Sutker
of Chicago, Illinois
in loving memory of
Max and Mary Sutker

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).