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Parshat Tazria-Metzora ב ס ״ ד Torah “Before you speak, you are interpreted by the Sages— The Power of the master of your words. here it uses an additional eight Weekly the Spoken Word After you speak, your words (Hebrew) letters to avoid master you.” How often we using the Did you know that it is April 11-17, 2021 feel imprisoned by our own word teme'ah (literally, 29 Nissan – 5 Iyar, 5781 possible for a person to be words after we have said "defiled" or "impure"). murdered and not even know Torah Reading: something that we wish we about it, even carrying on life By doing this the Torah Tazria-Metzora: Leviticus 12:1 - hadn’t or know we shouldn’t 15:33 as usual? teaches us that we should Haftarah: have. never allow a shameful Kings II 7:3-20 How can this be? This The Midrash relates that expression to pass our lips. week’s Torah reading speaks PARSHAT Rabbi Shimon ben When the Torah deliberately of the affliction known TAZRIA-METZORA Gamliel asked his servant, uses eight extra letters that as tzara’at. The Tavi, to buy him something could have been avoided We have Jewish commentators explain good from the market. The simply by saying the Calendars. If you that tzara’at was a servant returned with some word teme'ah, it is powerful would like one, punishment for the tongue. Rabbi Shimon then message to us to watch our please send us a transgression of asked his servant to buy language. letter and we will speaking lashon something bad from the send you one, or hara. Lashon hara, which And yet, a cursory look at this market. The servant returned Calendars ask the translated literally means “the week's readings which deal with more tongue. “How can Rabbi/Chaplain to evil tongue” or “evil speech,” with the laws of the ritual this be? I asked you to buy contact us. includes slander, gossip and impurity caused something good, you bought by tzaraat ("leprosy") reveals Do you have family rumors, among other things. tongue; I asked you to buy the word tamei occurring As the old British wartime on the outside something bad, you also numerous times. Why is it that adage goes, “Careless talk struggling? bought tongue?” Replied in the story of Noah the Torah costs lives.” Please contact or Tavi, “It has good and bad. goes out of its way not to use The Talmud relates in the have them contact When it is good, it has a lot of a negative word and here it name of Rabbi Shmuel bar our office to learn goodness. When it is bad, it is uses it repeatedly, seemingly Nachmani: “Why is the evil more about our very bad.” at whim? family programs. tongue called a thrice-slaying We speak thousands of words The answer given by the You and they are tongue? Because it kills three every day. Words have Sages is that in Genesis the Family Programs people: the person speaking, not alone, we are enormous power. May we the person spoken to, and the Torah is recounting a here to help. merit to use them only for historical narrative, and can person being spoken about.” good purposes. By Rabbi thus allow itself to be more It may not kill them We offer free Grape Mordechai Wollenberg physically, but it is character subtle and not pronounce a Juice and Matzoh assassination. Speak Nicely, but negative word. However, for you to be able to when it comers to halachah, Maimonides adds a further make the blessings Clearly That to determining Jewish law, dimension: sometimes a every Shabbos. one cannot afford subtleties or person may say something the Torah speaks in refined Please have your flowery language; one must that is not quite slander or language is a principle of chaplain / Rabbi be crystal clear in laying down gossip. Yet, as his statement Biblical studies. The classic contact us to enroll the law. The Law is sacrosanct passes from person to person, example is back in the Book (available to all of Genesis. There, and in matters of Law there Grape Juice & Matzah it eventually does cause harm, prisons). when G-d tells Noah to take may be no ambiguities. trouble, fright or hurt to the Our Parshah deals with dos party being spoken about. all the animals into the Ark, Hyman & Martha Rogal Center and don'ts that must be 5804 Beacon Street He speaks of the "clean" For example, even praising a animals (hatehorah) and the expressed in no uncertain Pittsburgh, PA 15217 person, if done in front of that 412-421-0111 "animals which are not clean" terms. When a rabbi is called Fax: 412-521-5948 person’s enemy who is liable (asher einenah tehorah). upon to answer a halachic www.alephne.org to react negatively, could Although the Torah is question, he should not beat [email protected] come under the category of generally sparing with around the bush. His response slander or gossip. words—every seemingly must be clear and Orchot Tzadikim (“Ways of superfluous letter is unequivocal. And if it is treif, the Righteous”) comments: expounded upon and then he must pronounce IN JEWISH HISTORY Monday, April 12, 2021 --- 30 Nissan, 5781 it treif! Now, generally speaking, rabbis should Passing of R. Chaim Vital (1620) be gentle, nice and soft-spoken. They should Nissan 30 is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of the famed Kabbalist Rabbi Chaim Vital (1542?-1620), author of the mystical work Eitz Chaim. Rabbi Chaim was the leading suggest, not demand. The old "fire and disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the "Holy Ari," 1534-1572) and the transcriber of his brimstone" types don't work that well today. teachings, which form the "Lurianic" Kabbalah. But sometimes rabbis can be too gentle, too Passing of R. Jacob Emden (1776) R. Jacob Emden, son of R. Tzvi Ashkenazi—known by the acronym Yaavetz (Yaakov ben subtle and too undemanding. And not only in Tzvi)—was a great scholar and author who lived in Emden and then in Altona (both cities in halachic matters but even in counseling. Germany). He was known for his zealousness and his willingness to fight for what he felt Psychologists and social workers will, on was right, disregarding any opposition. Among his works is a prayer book with commentaries known as Siddur Yaavetz. principle, never be directive with their clients. It is part of their professional code not to Tuesday, April 13, 2021 --- 1 Iyar, 5781 impose their opinions or personal values on Construction of 2nd Temple (370 BCE) Fifty three years following the destruction of the First Holy Temple, Zerubabel and Joshua those seeking their guidance. They will try to the High Priest began construction of the Second Temple, with permission from King Cyrus help their clients "see the wood from the trees" of Persia. so they can make their own informed decisions. The offering of sacrifices had actually commenced a few months earlier, on the vacant lot Rabbis, on the other hand, should have no where the 1st Temple stood, however it was only after the construction started on the 1st of Iyar that the Levites began accompanying the service with song and music. qualms about giving direction. After all, it's The construction was later halted after the hostile Samaritans supplied false slanderous their job! A fellow once came to see me about information to Cyrus about the Jews' intentions. The construction was resumed many years his therapist. "She doesn't tell me what to do," later, and completed 21 years later under the reign of King Darius. he complained. I explained that therapists don't Passing of R. Menachem Mendel of Horodok (1788) Chassidic master Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok (1730?-1788), also known as Rabbi work that way. "You want someone to tell you Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, was one of the leading disciples of the second leader of the what to do? Go to a rabbi." Chassidic Movement, Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch. Upon the latter's passing in 1772, R. Menachem Mendel was regarded by his colleagues as the leader of the Chassidic community If a couple goes for marriage counseling, a in Russia, and Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi considered him his rebbe and mentor. In counselor is likely to guide them based on their 1777, R. Menachem Mendel led a group of 300 Chassidim to the Holy Land and established hopes and aspirations. Do they really want to Chassidic communities in Safed and Teberias. Rabbi Menachem Mendel passed away on the work it out, or are they going through the 1st of Iyar of 1788, and is buried in Tiberias. Jews Counted in Desert (1312 BCE) motions on their way to the divorce lawyer? “G-d spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert…on the first day of the second month [Iyar] during And if it is the latter, the counselor may very the second year from their departure from Egypt, saying: ‘Count the number of the nation of well help them on their way. A rabbi will not Israel, according to their families and their fathers’ households.… Those who are twenty years old and older….” (Numbers 1:1-3) hesitate to explain that marriage is sacred and should be worked on and that divorce is an Wednesday, April 14, 2021 --- 2 Iyar, 5781 absolutely last resort when all else has failed. Maharash Born (1834) The counselor might ask, "Would you guys like The fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn (1834-1882), known by the acronym "Maharash", was born in the town of Lubavitch (White Russia) on the 2nd of to stay married?" while the rabbi might say, Iyar of the year 5594 from creation (1834).
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