בס״ד TORAH WEEKLY 7 - 13 April, 2019 Parshat Metzora 2 - 8 Nissan, 5779 would have to be removed Her quality of life was very SHABBAT and replaced with new ones. poor. If she went for a walk, Torah: HAGADOL Now imagine the she would have to stop and Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33 The Shabbat before walls of your house being rest every few minutes. Then, Passover is termed Shabbat demolished. Is that a blessing one day, she suffered a heart or a curse? No doubt, the attack. She was rushed to the Haftorah: HaGadol (“The Great Shab- homeowner in question would hospital and the doctors said Kings II 7:3-20 bat”) in commemoration of the “great miracle” that hap- not feel himself particularly her only chance of survival pened in Egypt on this day, blessed. But, according to was an emergency bypass heralding the Exodus from our sages, the case was often operation. There was a 50/50 CALENDARS Egypt five days later. different for the Israelites chance of success, but if We have Jewish Shabbat HaGadol cu- living in the Holy Land. The they didn’t do it she had no previous Canaanite inhanitan- chance at all. They perfor- Calendars, if you would stoms include reading a por- ts of the land would bury their med the surgery and, thank like one, please send us tion of the Haggadah (from “Avadim hayinu...” to “...al treasures inside the very walls G‑d, she made a full reco- a letter and we will send kol avonotainu”), which tells of their homes. The only way very, enjoying many years of you one, or ask the Rab- the story of the Exodus; it is an Israelite would ever disco- greatly improved quality of bi / Chaplain to contact also customary that the rabbi ver those hidden valuables life with nachas from children us. of the community delivers a was if the stones of the house and grandchildren. For years lecture in which he elaborates would be removed. When she would joke, “Thank G‑d FAMILY on the laws of Passover and this happened, it didn’t take I had a heart attack. I got my PROGRAMS their significance, in prepara- long for the poor unfortunate bypass!” It was no joke. Do you have tion for the festival. tzara’as-afflicted homeowner It would be naïve to family on the outside to be transformed into the suggest that it always works who are struggling, CLOUDS, wealthy heir of a newfound out this way. Life isn’t so sim- please contact or have fortune. Suddenly his dark ple, and sometimes it takes them contact our office CURSES AND cloud was filled with linings much longer to see the good to learn more about our of silver, gold and all kinds of that is hidden in the traumas CONCEALED precious objects. For him, in and difficulties of life. But we family programs. You a moment, the curse became will continue to believe that and they are not alone, COMPASSION blessing. G‑d is good, that He really we are here to help. Does every cloud really have a silver lining? Is Some time ago, a does want the best for us, and GRAPE JUICE & there a blessing in disguise friend’s business went into that one day, with hindsight, MATZAH inside every curse? Well, liquidation. Naturally, he was we will see how each of our Aleph offers free admittedly, it isn’t always so absolutely devastated. After frustrations did somehow a while he opened a new serve us well in the long term. Grape Juice and Matzoh easy to discern, but we most business which, thank G‑d, All of us will at one for you to be able to certainly do believe in the concept. prospered. He later confes- time or another experience make the blessings every sed to me that in retrospect disappointments in life. The Shabbos. Please have This week’s Torah reading deals with the pu- he was able to see how the challenge is to learn from tho- your chaplain / Rabbi rification of those afflicted earlier bankruptcy was truly a se disappointments and grow contact us to enroll, it is by the strange leprosy-like blessing. I still remember his from them. Who knows if the available to all prisons. malady known as tzara’as (a words: “Before we were wor- wiser, more sensitive person king for the banks; now we we become is not the silver ALEPH INSTITUTE word uncannily similar to tzores!). The Parshah recoun- are working for our families.” lining itself? Hyman & Martha Rogal ts different types of tzara’as A woman in my con- In general, there are Center manifestations—on a person’s gregation was suffering from two qualities which form a 5804 Beacon Street body, in his clothes or even heart disease, and the doc- powerful combination to help Pittsburgh, PA 15217 in the walls of his house. In tors said she needed bypass us appreciate that there is a 412-421-0111 the latter case, if after the surgery. But she also had hidden goodness inside every other medical complications misfortune: faith and patien- Fax: 412-521-5948 necessary quarantine period the stain had still not receded, which made a heart operation ce. With faith that there is a www.alephne.org too dangerous to contemplate. higher, better purpose to life, [email protected] the stones of the affected wall and with patience to bide our time for its revelation, we will be able to persevere and weather the crises of life. In Jewish History Please G‑d, may we all find our silver linings soon. Sunday, 2 Nissan, 5779 - April 7, 2019 By Rabbi Yossy Goldman First Red Heifer Prepared (1312 BCE) On the 2nd of Nissan, one day after the inaugu- ON RABBIS AND JEWS ration of the Tabernacle, Moses prepared the very first Without going into the whole question of sacrifices, Red Heifer, in order to ritually purify the Jewish nation one difficult phrase that appears in this week’s reading, and in preparation for the bringing of the Paschal Lamb in throughout the early chapters of Vayikra (Leviticus), is reia- the newly erected Sanctuary. ch nichoach la-Hashem—“a satisfying aroma to G‑d.” Why Passing of Rashab (1920) the repeated emphasis on satisfying G‑d? The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneersohn (“Rashab”), was born in the Some have suggested that with all the pageantry White Russian town of Lubavitch in 1860. After the associated with the Temple rites and rituals, people might passing of his father, Rabbi Shmuel (in 1882), he as- come to place undue importance on the kohanim and their sumed the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch. ceremonials. The ritual directors might become so prominent Famed for his phenomenal mind and analyt- in people’s eyes that they would forget about the Almighty. ical treatment of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Sholom It was therefore necessary to remind worshippers to Whom DovBer wrote and delivered some 2,000 maamarim they ought to be directing their offerings, thoughts and (discourses of Chassidic teaching) over the 38 years prayers. of his leadership. In 1897, he established the Tomchei to advise and to guide. The rabbi will be happy to Temimim yeshivah, the first institution of Jewish learn- help and do whatever he can; but remember that, ultimately, ing to combine the study of the “body” of Torah (Tal- we have to help ourselves, and each of us can turn to the sin- mudic and legal studies) with its mystical “soul” (the teachings of Chassidism); it was this unique yeshivah gle most important address in the universe—and that is G‑d. that produced the army of learned, inspired and devoted Rabbis may be very reliable, but don’t rely on the Chassidim who, in the decades to come, would literally rabbis. Kohanim, Levites, rabbis and teachers all have their give their lives to keep Judaism alive under Soviet rule. important roles to play. But never confuse the messenger In 1915, Rabbi Sholom DovBer was forced with the One who sent him. Long ago, our sages taught (and to flee Lubavitch from the advancing WWI front and it has even become a popular Israeli bumper sticker): “We relocated to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. In his have no one to turn to but our Father in Heaven.” final years, he began the heroic battle against the new Communist regime’s efforts to destroy the Jewish faith throughout the Soviet Union. PASSOVER (Important) Rabbi Sholom DovBer passed away in Rostov Passover falls unusually late this calendar year, on the 2nd of Nissan, 1920. His last words were: “I’m given that the Jewish calendar year is a leap year. This being going to heaven; I leave you the writings.” the case, we are not permitted to eat the Matzoh and read the Wednesday, 5 Nissan, 5779 - April 10, 2019 Hagadah before 8:40 PM. Spies to Jericho (1273 BCE) If your institution is not permitting a seder at that Two days before the conclusion of the thir- time, please be sure to take Matzoh and a Hagadah to your ty-day mourning period following the passing of Moses housing unit so you can eat and read at the appropriate time. on Adar 7 (see Jewish History for the 7th of Nissan), We have sent every institution Shemurah Matzoh. Joshua dispatched two scouts--Caleb and Pinchas-- Please (preferably) take the Shemurah Matzoh for the seder across the Jordan River to Jericho, to gather intelligence nights. in preparation of the Israelites’ battle with the first city in their conquest of the Holy Land. In Jericho, they ‘NASI’ OF THE DAY were assisted and hidden by Rahab, a woman who lived Beginning from the first day of Nissan through Nis- inside the city walls. (Rahab later married Joshua). san 13, we recite the verses (from Numbers ch. 7) describing Friday, 7 Nissan, 5779 - April 12, 2019 the offerings made by the “princes” (nesi’im) of the 12 tribes Jews Prepare to Enter Canaan (1273 BCE) of Israel (see “Mishkan inaugurated”). Nissan 1, we read of The Jewish nation mourned for thirty days fol- the gift bought by Nachshon ben Aminadav, the nasi of the lowing the passing of Moses. (During this time, Joshua, tribe of Judah, on this date. Nissan 2 we read of Issachar’s the new leader of the Jewish nation, sent scouts to spy gift, and so on for the 12 tribes. On the 13th of Nissan we on the land of Canaan, see Jewish History for the 5th of read G-d’s instructions to Aaron regarding the kindling of the Nissan). menorah, which represents the participation of the priestly On the 7th of Nissan, the first day after the tribe of Levi. mourning period came to an end, Joshua instructed Following the verses of the day’s “Nasi,” we recite a the Jews to stock up on provisions and prepare them- short prayer in which we say, “...if I, Your servant, am from selves to cross the Jordan river and begin the conquest the tribe of ___ whose section of the Nasi I have read today of the Promised Land. This was the first time Joshua in Your Torah, may all the holy sparks and holy illumina- addressed the nation, and they unconditionally accepted tions that are included within the holiness of this tribe shine him as their new leader. upon me, to grant me understanding and intelligence in Your The actual crossing occurred on the 10th of Torah and my awe of You, to do Your will all the days of my Nissan. life....”