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Vayikra Vol.26 No.24:Layout 1 uhert vacug s; Volume 26 No. 24 VAYIKRA Daf Hashavua 8 March 2014 • 6 Adar II 5774 Shabbat ends in London at 6.40 pm Artscroll p.544 • Hertz p.409 • Soncino p.605 Sayings & Sayers Rav Sheshet of the Sidrah by Rabbi Samuel Landau, Kingston, Surbiton & District United Synagogue Chumash: (speaking about the burnt parts would proclaim, "Rejoice, my soul! Rejoice, of the peace offering) ‘…and he [the Kohen] my soul! For your sake I have read the Holy shall remove the diaphragm with the liver, Scriptures; and for your sake I have studied with the kidneys [lit. on the kidneys].’ the Mishnah and its associated texts". (Shemot 3:4) He was a straight talking individual. Referring Talmud: Rav Sheshet said in the name of Rav to a ruling that he disagreed with, he Assi: ‘The veins in the fat are said,"[the person who issued this forbidden to eat but one is not ruling] must have said this when liable (to the penalty of he was asleep". It is reported that spiritual excision) for eating on the day of his death he was them, for the verse says “on walking in the street and an the kidneys”, instead of “inside image of the Angel of Death the kidneys”. (Chullin 93a) approached him. Rav Sheshet said Rav Sheshet was a third to the Angel of Death: "Do you generation Amora (referring to want to kill me on the street like a sages of 3rd-5th centuries CE) bullock? If you want to take my who sadly became blind late in soul, come into my house." his life. Coupled with his confident and bold outlook was Legend tells us that his non- a keen memory; he knew by heart the compromising nature was heeded entire body of Mishnah, as well as its even by G-d Himself! On one occasion, in Amoraic interpretations. In addition, Rav Nehardea, Rav Sheshet was learning in the Sheshet possessed highly honed powers of synagogue and the Divine Presence arrived. deductive reasoning and knew how to When Rav Sheshet did not leave his studies, extrapolate conclusions from earlier the angels came and threatened him. So, Rav teachings. His colleagues said of him: "It is Sheshet asked: "Master of the Universe, if one good when one possesses a keen party is afflicted (blind) and the other party understanding in addition to the inheritance is not afflicted, which one should yield?'' of tradition". Rav Sheshet would review his In response, G-d told the angels to leave studies every 30 days. On completion he Rav Sheshet to get on with learning. “But if means are insufficient…” by Rabbi Boruch Boudilovsky Borehamwood & Elstree United Synagogue’s ‘Southside Yavneh Minyan’ The book of Vayikra opens with a detailed and should be chosen. description of various Tabernacle and Temple Celebrating our life cycle offerings. The offerings ranged from plain flour events is often a genuine to expensive livestock, from voluntarily offerings source of joy and pride. to mandatory ones, from those offered by However, encouraged by individuals to those offered on behalf of the social, psychological and other nation. Several times in the text, a more pressures, people may sometimes host economical alternative to the offering in celebrations that they simply cannot afford. discussion is introduced by the phrase: “But if Sadly, the financial burden people irresponsibly his [or her] means are insufficient…” The Torah place themselves under can even harm lives is sensitively presenting those who are less well and relationships. This is exactly what the Torah off with affordable alternatives, lest they be tries to avoid when repeatedly introducing excluded from presenting offerings. economical alternatives with the words: “But if However, there may be an additional directive his [or her] means are insufficient”. in these words. Imagine Although celebrating the joy of a new mother within a responsible arriving at the Temple, budget is primarily the possibly in the company duty of the hosts of her family and friends, themselves, it is never- to present the special theless a responsibility offering uniquely pre- that exists in the con- scribed for new mothers. text of community. For Or consider the cathartic instance, parents of experience of a person Bar and Bat mitzvah who appears at the Temple to present an children should of course be aware that their atonement offering, possibly also in the children will invite their friends to celebrate company of his family and friends. Naturally, with them. Even when an expensive celebration sociable people would surely value experiencing is within the family budget, invited children will these important events in the company of then go home to their parents and request others. They could easily find themselves similar celebrations. This places immense socially pressured to present offerings that pressure on the parents. It would be praise- are beyond their affordability. In an worthy to maintain some moderation, even ancient economy based on subsistence when people are fortunate enough to afford farming and livestock, these offerings could costly celebrations. be quite expensive. People might become inclined to take loans in order to purchase When celebrating the life cycle events that we these offerings. Wisely, the Torah identifies this are blessed with by G-d, let us remember the danger. It encourages people to worship and words of the Biblical prophet Micha (6:8) celebrate only within their financial means by “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what stating that when such means are insufficient G-d seeks from you: only the performance of for expensive offering, a more economical justice, the love of kindness, and walking humbly and equally acceptable alternative is available with your G-d”. Eyes in the Torah Desirous to the Eyes (Part 4) by Menachem Salasnik, Israel Educator When the snake in the Garden of Eden finished lovely appearance and therefore desire it delivering his compelling arguments, Chavah because of its beauty. Ta’avah on the other hand (Eve) turned to get a better look at the tree – is rooted in the emotion of the observer. Ta’avah “The woman saw that the tree was good for food is the desire that is generated in the observer and it was desirous (ta’avah) to the eyes” even if the object cannot currently be seen or if (Bereishit 3:6). the object is not intrinsically beautiful. Ta’avah is where the observer builds an image in his/her On a simple level, ‘desirous to the eyes’ means mind to the extent that the eye sees something that the food looked good. Numerous studies as beautiful and desirous, even if it truly is not. show that the appearance of food is integral to Chemda is desire based on fact. Ta’avah is desire the way we perceive taste. We assume that foods based on imagination. that are blue are bad; in one study, a delicious steak that had been dyed blue made people feel The tree and its fruit were truly good to look at, nauseous. When the transparent caffeine-free for that is how G-d made them. However, when cola Crystal Pepsi was created in the 90’s, people Chavah looked at the tree, her vision of its said it tasted like Sprite, beauty was not based on despite there being no truth, but rather on a lemon/lime flavourings. distorted personal view. If it More recently, many people had been a real view, then felt that Cadbury's Dairy she would have been able to Milk changed its taste when say ‘G-d made many its shape changed, although beautiful and pleasant trees. Kraft, which owns Cad- However, this one is not bury’s, insists that the permitted to me. I will go and recipe is identical. eat from one of the others’. The distorted view elevated However, as Chavah’s was the beauty to something that the first sin in the history of was not actually there; the world, if we go a little it became a ta’avah. Her deeper we may unearth a tremendous insight emotion got her to see this object as if it was into the dynamics of sin. Let us rewind to when so beautiful that nothing else compared. She G-d created the Garden of Eden. The verse had to have this one, even though it was says that “G-d caused to sprout … every tree that not permitted to her. was pleasant (nechmad, from the word chemdah) to the sight and good for food” (ibid It is human nature to be faced with desires that 2:9). Later, when Chavah looked at the tree, are sometimes inappropriate. The first step it was not 'nechmad' to her eyes but rather towards gaining control over, rather than being ‘ta’avah’ to her eyes. enslaved by them, is to realise that when we experience an intense desire towards an object The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leib Weisser d.1879) or person that is off limits, it is often irrational, explains the difference between these two based on false imagery. words. Both of them deal with desire, but chemdah is based on the intrinsic beauty of the Menachem Salasnik is a Geriatric and Low Vision object. We may look at something that has a Optometrist Hangover for Hanover by Rabbi Z M Salasnik, Bushey and District United Synagogue 300 years ago, on 18 February 1714 (14 Adar civil war; 70 years previously, such a dispute 5474, and 1 March in the Gregorian calendar), devastated their own families. Viscount (perhaps!) a meeting was held which decided Bolingbroke put aside his hatred of Robert the future of Great Britain and her colonies for Harley, Earl of Oxford for one day, and both centuries to come.
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