ב ס ״ ד Torah fellow’s death, when you are and composure, chances are Compound Verses able to save him—for that the offender will Weekly This week’s Torah reading example, if he is drowning in apologize, or perhaps contains many the river, or if a wild beast or explain his actions, and April 18-24, 2021 commandments. Some robbers come upon him.” friendly relations can 6-12 Iyar, 5781 occupy several verses, while You have to take a keen resume. Silence, on the other others take up only part of a Torah Reading: interest in your neighbor’s hand, will never accomplish Acharei-Kedoshim: verse, sharing “verse space” welfare. Otherwise, you anything. Leviticus 16:1 - 20:27 with another mitzvah. It is Haftarah: Amos 9:7-15 won’t be able to rush to his You shall neither take interesting to analyze these aid in his time of need. You revenge from nor bear a PARSHAT “compound verses” in an ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM need to know when his bank grudge against the members endeavor to find the unifying account is in the red, or you of your people; you shall We have Jewish thread between the lumped- won’t be able to give him the love your neighbor as Calendars. If you together commands. After loan he needs. If you are yourself. I am the would like one, all, there must be a reason oblivious to his troubles, you L-rd. (19:18) please send us a why the Torah chooses to won’t be able to lend a letter and we will group together The mitzvah of loving your helping hand or ear. send you one, or two mitzvot—often fellow goes well beyond the Calendars ask the seemingly disparate ones— But at the same time, unless societal norms of helping out Rabbi/Chaplain to there is a beneficial reason to and caring for a friend. Such in one verse. contact us. share this information, it love is a subtle form of self- Let us examine a sequence must remain confidential. centeredness—it’s helping Do you have family of three such compound another because he on the outside verses in this week’s You shall not hate your is your friend. True love struggling? reading. brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your expresses itself in abstaining Please contact or You shall not go around as a fellow, but you shall not bear from taking revenge or have them contact gossipmonger amidst your our office to learn a sin on his account. (19:17) harboring a grudge against people. You shall not stand someone who has wronged more about our Rebuking a wrongdoer is by [the shedding of] your you. If you can control your family programs. indeed a mitzvah, but there You and they are fellow’s blood. I am the natural impulse to get even, L-rd. (Leviticus 19:16) is a fundamental Family Programs you know that you truly care not alone, we are prerequisite: “You shall not Jewish law forbids not only about that individual. After here to help. hate your brother in your speaking of another’s flaws all, it’s coming at the heart.” If the rebuke stems or misdeeds, whether expense of your own ego and We offer free Grape from ill-will towards the imagined or true, but also prestige. By Rabbi Naftali Juice and Matzoh transgressor, then you have prohibits “harmless” gossip. Silberberg for you to be able to not fulfilled the mitzvah. Information that you happen make the blessings The rebuke will certainly be How in the World Can to know about another is every Shabbos. disregarded, because the confidential. It is none of I Really Love Another Please have your recipient of the chastisement chaplain / Rabbi Mr. A’s business what Mr. B Possibly the will sense the animosity as Myself? contact us to enroll did yesterday. behind the harsh words. most popular phrase in (available to all This may lead one to believe Instead, you, the rebuker, the Torah is “Love your Grape Juice & Matzah prisons). that he should close his eyes fellow as yourself.” will bear a sin—the sin of and ears, and take no interest Hyman & Martha Rogal Center unduly embarrassing and Idealistic words, for sure, but 5804 Beacon Street in his fellow’s affairs—it’s causing angst to another possible? Can we love Pittsburgh, PA 15217 private business. Therefore Jew. someone— a stranger—as 412-421-0111 the verse continues, “You An alternative explanation: much as we love ourselves? Fax: 412-521-5948 shall not stand by [the On the most basic level, this www.alephne.org shedding of] your fellow’s If someone wrongs you, do [email protected] means that we need to wish blood.” The biblical not allow hate to silently good upon others. Practical commentator Rashi explains fester in your heart. Rebuke examples would be treating this command: “Do not him. Confront him with his others with respect (just like stand by, watching your actions. If done with respect IN JEWISH HISTORY Sunday, April 18, 2021 --- 6 Iyar, 5781 we wish to be treated) and wanting good Passing of R. Levi ben Gershon (1344) for others (just like we want). R. Levi ben Gershon, known by the acronym Ralbag or by the Graecized Gersonides, was a great Torah scholar who lived in Provence (a region in Southern France). He is On a deeper level, however, the Baal famous for his Bible commentary, which includes many ethical lessons to be learned Shem Tov explains that if we see another from the stories of Scripture. He was also proficient in philosophy, astronomy, and as a child of G-d, it enables us to feel a mathematics, and wrote numerous works and treatises on these topics. deep love for them. Monday, April 19, 2021 --- 7 Iyar, 5781 Studies show that when a mother watches Jerusalem Walls Dedicated (335 BCE) her child suffer, the neurons in her brain The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was celebrated with great jubilation nearly 88 light up to reflect the exact areas of her years after they were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. child’s suffering. The pain we feel when Passing of Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntschitz, “Kli Yakar” (1619) Born in the year 1550 in Luntschitz, Poland, with just the name Ephraim, the name our children suffer, or conversely the love Sholomo was added later during a life-threatening illness (a common practice in that we feel when our children are happy, Judaism). is real. If we look at our fellow as a child Rabbi Sholomo Efraim was a disciple of the famed Talmudist, Rabbi Sholomo Luria, of G-d, our Father, we, too, can feel love author of the Yam Shel Sholomo, as well as the great Jewish kabalist and and empathy. philosopher, Rabbi Judah Lowe, known as the “Maharal of Prague.” In the year 1604, after having first headed the yeshivah in Levov, he was appointed By while that may be true for those closest rabbi of Prague, replacing Rabbi Lowe, who was then quite elderly. He held the to us, how can we apply this idea to even position until his passing. strangers? He is the author of a number of works, but is perhaps best known for his work Kli Yakar (a commentary on the Torah) and Olelot Ephraim (a collection of sermons). The Alter Rebbe tells us to see beyond the Among his prominent students was Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller, author of a classic physical constrictions of the body and commentary on the Mishnah called Tosfot Yom Tov. view another person as a soul. Then there is no “I” and “you”. We are both one Wednesday, April 21, 2021 --- 9 Iyar, 5781 essence just as both hands are part of one Passing of R. Nissan Nemanov (1984) R. Nissan Nemanov served as mashpia (chassidic mentor) at Yeshivat Tomchei body. Tmimim Lubavitch in Brunoy, France, where he taught and guided many thousands of This is in fact why this commandment is students. He was renowned for his piety and for his devotion to the sixth and seventh the basis of the entire Torah. If we can see Lubavitcher Rebbes, R. Yosef Yitzchak and R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It was our existence as not just a physical reality, said of him that he reached the level of the “intermediate man” as explained in Tanya. but an expression of G-dliness, we can Thursday, April 22, 2021 --- 10 Iyar, 5781 master all of Torah. Passing of Eli (891 BCE) But does that mean I need to be blind to Eli the High Priest died upon learning that the Holy Ark containing the Tablets was the faults of another? captured by the Philistines, and that his two sons were killed in battle. Eli was the 13th in the line of the "Shoftim" ("judges") who led the People of Israel during the No! Just as we love ourselves totally but four centuries between the passing of Joshua in 1245 BCE and the crowning of we still expect more from ourselves, we King Saul in 879 BCE. can love and respect another person even Passing of Rif (1103) while seeing his mistakes. Being blinded Rabbi Isaac Al-Fasi (1013-1103), known by the acronym "Rif," was one of the to his faults, says the Rebbe, is actually earliest codifiers of the Talmud. In 1088 he was forced to flee his hometown of apathy not love. Loving him means just as Fez, Morocco, to Spain, where he assumed the position of rabbi in Alusina (Lucene).