Thoughts on Parashat transgressed doing what they were not / commanded to do in a holy place and so Aaron is being warned not to enter Year 23 the most holy place without being by Dayan commanded to do so. We have a further question, why does Vaydaber Hashem il Moshe Aharei the pasuk need to repeat ‘vayamuto’ Mot Shne Bene Aaron Bekorbatam and he died after it has already lefinee Hashem Veyamutu. Hashem mentioned Acharei Mot shene bene speaks to Moshe after the death of the Aaron, the death of the two sons of two sons of Aaron when they drew Aron?’ themselves before Hashem and they Maybe we could answer both died. Moshe is told to warn Aaron that questions. The in Rosh he may not enter the Holy of Holies at Hashannah (26.) says that the any time only on Yom Kippur after he of an ox could not be used for the brings the offering of the day because tekiyot of Rosh Hashana because ain the cloud of glory hovers over the katigor naase sanigor the accuser Aron. cannot become the defender, the brings the Torat Cohanim to Talmud questions the comparison for connect the mention of the death of the since that was inside the Holy of Holies sons of Aaron to the warning to Aaron where the shechina was, the Cohen not to enter the Holy of Holies (Kodesh could not enter with clothes of gold but Kodashim) at his will any time except the shofar is outside. on Yom Kippur, the warning is The Talmud answers since the tekiyot strengthened by the mention of the of Rosh Hashannah were ‘zichronot’ to death of the sons of Aaron, Nadav and bring the memories before Hashem Avihu who died because they came they were as if it was inside the Holy of before G-d when not commanded to Holies. do so. A warning that he should not In Parashat (30:1) the die like them. The Sifte Chachamim command to build mizbeach haketoret questions the comparison, the sons of was given after the command to make, Aaron did not die because they went the kelim, the mizbeach for the animal into the Holy of Holies, they took their offerings, the keyor and kanu incense burners into the Kodesh mentioned in Parashat . The outside the parochet, and did a service Kli Yakar explains that the mizbeach not commanded where as we are for the offering of the animals warning Aaron the Cohen Gadol about represented and brought atonement going into the Kodesh Kodashim, the for the physical body of the person Holy of Holies which was not the same compared to the animal offered. The as their . He answers yes it is not Mizbeach was 3 amot high the height the same but the point was that they of a person. The Mizbeach Haketoret for the incense represented the GEMS neshama of a person and brought atonement for the neshama, it was one ama by one ama, a complete unit like In Parashat Acharei Mot and again in the neshama, the ketoret offered was Kedoshim the Torah warns us about of scent, which the Neshama benefits sexual perverty and the forbidden from (besamim on Motzei Shabbath) relationships. In Acharei Mot it is and is least physical of all our senses. written ‘Al Titannu Benot eleh’ do not It came at the end after the defile yourself with all these ‘Ki bekol construction of the whole mishkan, like eleh Nitmamu Hagoyim asher Ani the Neshama which was put in at the Meshaleach Mipenechem’; because end after the body of the nations whom I am driving out Adam was made. The Yalkut says that before you defiled themselves with when Nadav and Abihu saw the fire these. The pasuk repeats that the descend from in their great joy nations before you did these they added love upon love, they could abominations and defiled the land so not contain themselves, they brought be careful not to defile the land so you ketoret in their incense burners on to will not be spewed out of it as the the mizbeach Haketoret which nations were before you. ‘Ushmartem represented the neshama. They et Mishmarti labilti Asot Mechokot reckoned since G-d has manifested Hateabot, Ve lo Titamu Bahem’. His Shechina on the physical, let us Hence our were commanded bring through the Mizbeach Haketoret, to make fences and decrees to protect a response from the neshama. The us from doing these abominations Mizbeach Haketoret was placed which would defile us. opposite the Aron Hakodesh, the The Ramban questions why the torah nearest to it more than the Menorah is so strict about the sin of ‘Arayot’ and Shulchan, to indicate the forbidden relationships and connects it closeness of the Neshama to the to the defilement of the land and being Shechina hovering over the Aron. spewed out of the land because of With their loving thoughts through the them. Since these do not just incense they connected the neshama apply in the land of but to the shechina hovering over the everywhere else on every Jew. Aron, and from there the fire came out Anyhow there are strict punishments and killed them. So even though they on the individual of ‘Karet’ and even were in the Kodesh their thoughts and the death penalty for transgressing actions were directed to the shechina them. He explains that when G-d in the Kodesh Kodeshim and that was separated the nations and gave each like the shofar which was blown people its land, He gave each nation a outside but brought memories ‘Malach’ spiritual representative in ‘zichronot’ lefnei vu lefnim, that is the heaven over them and their land. But comparison to Aaron entering the Eretz Yisrael, in the middle of the Kodesh Kodashim. This would also world, he made His inheritance and did answer our question why it repeats not give it over to any ‘Malach’ and He ‘vayamutu’ to tell us they died because kept it for His chosen people to dwell they drew near to Hashem, in the there in Holiness to serve Him through Kodesh Kodashim, bekirbatam lefne keeping the Torah and mitzvoth. Eretz Hashem. Yisrael, unlike all the other lands would be directly under G-d’s directive without intermediaries i.e. ‘Malachim’. His presence He would make felt there more than in any other land; “ ‘Eney Hashem aleha merishit Hashanah ad severe cause for their exile. The Achreta’, the eyes of G-d upon it from ‘Gemorah in Nedarim’ is telling us that the beginning of the year to the end. had they given the Torah the correct His special relationship with the importance and regard this would have Jewish people who accepted the prevented them from their exile in spite Torah and carry His name, to them he of their other sins, for the light of the gave His land as an inheritance. The Torah can change a person to good. is considered the dwelling place of Hashem, His Palace, STORIES OF TZADDIKIM with special Holiness. That is why this land, more than any other, could not stand the defilement with these One winter’s evening, when Reb abominations or ‘Avodah Zarah’, the Simchah Bunem of Pshischa was a nations who practiced their child of five, a group of learned guests abominations in it were ejected from it. came to visit his father, who was the of Viedislav. While they were The Jewish people who carry His partaking of the meal, which he had name would be punished even more prepared for them, the rabbi called in severely for abominations in the land his son, and said: “Run along, my boy, and be ejected from it and so the and prepare us some novel interpreta- Torah repeats this again in Parashat tion of the laws of hospitality.” Kedoshim. We are warned to keep When the child returned after a little away from these and to make fences while, his father asked: “Well, have and decrees to protect us so that we you thought up something original?” can remain in the Holy Land, the The boy replied that he had, and the Palace of Hashem. guests, who had heard that he was a In Parashat Kedoshim, where we are prodigy, eagerly anticipated hearing told of the punishment for these some halachic novellae. And indeed, forbidden relationships, the Torah at as soon as the meal was over, his the end adds on ‘Vushmartem et father said to them: “let us come along chukotai veet kol mishpatai Vaasetem together and see what he has to show otam Ve lo Taki etchem Haaretz asher us.” ani mevi etchem shamah lashevat Ba’ Sure enough, as they entered another (Guard my statutes and my room, his original interpretation of laws judgements and keep them, so the of hospitality caught them pleasantly land I am bringing you in to dwell,will by surprise: for each of them the boy not eject you). had made up a bed for the night, with The Nitsiv from ‘Velozin’ explains that pillows and quilts all neatly in place. study of the Torah which is referred to as ‘chukotai’ as in ‘Im Bechukotai telechu;’ referring to the study of Shabbat Shalom Torah. This can protect you from being ejected from the land. As the ‘Gemarah’ says in Nedarim ‘Al ma HALACHOT avada Haaretz’ why was the land of Israel lost?, referring to the first exile - because they did not honour the 1. When we intend to eat a betza (28 Torah. But we know, as the grams) of bread, we wash with a warn the Jewish people that for their vessel etc. and make a beracha for it sins of murder and abominations and ‘Al Netilat Yadayim and Hamotze’. But ‘Avodah Zarah’ they would be going if we only intend to eat a Kaziet (29 into exile, which is basically a more grams) we wash without a beracha but 4. Matzot made for Pesach according make the Hamotze and we say the to most Poskim after Pesach is Berchat Hamazon after eating the mezonot but there are many who say Kaziet. it should not be eaten outside a seuda 2. But there are certain kinds of bread of bread or a greater amount than 225 like dough we only make the Beracha grams which is kebeyza of seuda. Mezonot and we do not need to wash Some say after Pesach Sheni, the 14th for which the Beracha Achronah is ‘Al of Iyar it becomes mezonot.

Hamechiya’ and not Berchat Hamazon, this is called ‘Pat Haba If you wish to sponsor a Kiddush Bekisin’. Please contact 3. There are 3 opinions what ‘Pat Monty Sassoon 07787 571313 Haba Bekisin’ is: For Seuda Shlishit or to rent the a) A dough, even made only like Nancy Reuben Hall bread (i.e. with flour and water) but for a Simcha with a filling in it like ‘samoosa’ or Ozne Please contact Yanky David 07725 408724 , filled with nuts or fruit and according to some Poskim even filled with eggs, fish, cheese or meat (which We have a regular Youth are usually eaten with bread) would be Minyan organised by Jason Mezonot and Beracha Achronah ‘Al Ibrahim and Jordan Hamechiyah’; since they are shaped followed by a kiddush and eaten for little snacks. That is, if one eats less than 165 grams. The minhag is like these Poskim who say We celebrate Lag B’Omer, the Mezonot on dough even if fillings were 33rd day of the Omer, cheese or meat etc. Thursday 3rd May, b) Dough which is kneaded with oil, hillullah of Rabbi Shimon Bar honey, milk, eggs or fruit juices even Yochai. No tachanun. with a little water added is considered Sephardim can only have a Mezonot. According to Maran in the Shulhan Aruch even if there is a haircut on 34th day of the Omer, substantial amount of water, as long Friday 4th May, as the taste of the juice or milk etc. which ends the period of changes the taste slightly, it is mourning Mezonot. But the Ramoh holds that SHABBAT TIMES unless there is a very strong taste of Shabbat commences 8:02 pm other ingredients a slight change Shabbat terminates 9:17 pm would not make it Mezonot but it would Mincha Erev Shabbat remain Hamotze. Hence for a for the summer 7:15 pm Sephardi an egg would not be Followed by Kabbalat Shabbat Hamotze and should not be used for Shacharit 8:30 am the Seuda on Shabbat. Ideally one Shiur Pirkei Avot 6:40 pm should use what is called a water Mincha on Shabbat followed challah. by Seuda Shlishit 7:40 pm c) Any cracker or matzot-like biscuit even made with flour and water only is Shacharit Sundays 7:00 am considered Mezonot according to Shacharit Weekdays 6:50 am Maran because it is crispy and Mincha followed by Arbit requires more chewing than bread. Arbit for the summer 7:30 pm