YNA Newsletter Parshat Shmini - Parah 1 of 8 In This Issue Parshat Shmini-Parah April 1, 2016 New Gallery- Purim at YNA Visitors - Life Events HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Please continue to daven for Malka Bat Shmini Chana Leah, Aryeh ben Rina, Ido ben Staff Dvar Torah by Rav Yehuda Tali, Chaim Avishalom ben Blanka (the Tannenbaum Chalban), and Shimon Ben Miriam Hendal. The Story Of The Jewish People by Rav Shai Gerson - Sefer Shoftim Dedications Tehillim List Learning on 20 Adar II was in the memory of our beloved Links talmid David Yamnick (5760). yna.edu YNA Kollel.com Annual Alumni Shabbaton News Ask Rav Nebenzahl Suggestion Box Alumni Update Form 1 WEEK TO GO! Contact Us RavBeinishGinsburg.com LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER SephardiParty.com ShabbosYeshiva .com Join Our List Davening Times with Rav Varon and Family 6:23 Candle-lighting PM 6:40 Kabbalat Shabbat PM Ma'ariv SHABBAT DAY 5:50 Vatikin in Rav Bina's AM Home 8:30 Shacharit AM 5:15 Shiur by Rav Varon PM 6:00 Mincha PM The annual Alumni Shabbaton in Woodmere will be April 8-9, Parshat Tazria (Rosh Chodesh Nissan) at DRS! Reb Zev's Parsha Riddle The Rabbis coming in are Rav Bina, Rabbi Dr. John Krug, Rav Yoel Rackovsky, Rav Amos Luban, Rav Ben Lebovitch Rav Shragie Bomzer, Rav Dani Bader, Rav Zev Bader and Rav YNA Newsletter Parshat Shmini - Parah 2 of 8 Who am I? I am kind to my kind, Chanan Bina. Which would seem to be Yosher; But since I ignore those not like The theme this year is: me, I am surely not Kosher ~~~ Spiritual Growth Last week's answer When I come from a fish, there's no issur at all; We ask anyone who is able to host (sleeping Friday But from animal and bird, night only) even if you are not very close to DRS, to I am designated for the wall. Daam (Blood) let us know how many you can sleep at Contact Reb Zev [email protected] . REGISTER HERE REGISTRATION OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY Quote of the Week "Hodu LaHashem ki tov ki leolam chasdo" "Give thanks to Hashem for He is good, His kindness endures forever" There are no better words to express the great joy that my son Yaakov's triplets, born after many years of longing, prayer, and treatment, have just put on tefillin for the first time. New Gallery - Purim at YNA Click here for the Purim Gallery! YNA Newsletter Parshat Shmini - Parah 3 of 8 Pic of the Week "K'shem Sh'Nichnas LaBrit..." At the Brit of the son of Avi Engelhart (5767-71) at the Yeshiva Visitors - Life Events Visitors Gavin Horwich(5768) Rabbi Mark Wildes (5746) Yehoshua Kogan (5772) Matt Marks (5771-72) Mazal Tov Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh would like to wish a mazal tov to: Rav Chizkiyahu and Ahuvi Nebenzahl on the birth of a grandson. Mazal Tov to the great grandfather, HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl. Avi (5767-71) and Aviva Engelhart on the birth of twins, a boy and a girl. Ephraim (Joshua, 5773) Levian on his marriage to Alexandra Zar. Rabbi Mordechai (Martin, 5753) and Shira Hochheimer on the Bar Mitzva of their son. Rav Yoel and Shoshana Rackovsky on the birth of a grandson. Alan (5764) and Elizabeth Jacob on the birth of a baby boy. Judah (5769-70) and Tova Plaut on the birth of a baby girl. Adam (5755-56) and Bini Dachs on the birth of a baby girl. Avi (5767) and Stephanie Levie on the birth of a baby girl. Moishe Elias (5773-74) on his marriage to Yael Cohen. Aryeh Fischer (5772-74) on his marriage to Penina Kallus. Rav Zev and Mushka Bader (staff) on the engagement of their daughter Sara Miriam to Yehudah Leib Scharfer from Tel Tzion. Send Us Your Announcements Please, if you have any smachot or chas v'shalom, less happy occasions, let our office know so we can keep everybody updated. HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Shmini YNA Newsletter Parshat Shmini - Parah 4 of 8 PARSHAT SHMINI 5776 THE RIGHT WAY The Torah relates: "the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his fire pan, they put fire in them and placed incense upon it, and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. A fire came forth from before Hashem and consumed them, and they died before Hashem" (Vayikra 10:1-2). Nadav and Avihu offered a fire with a ketores, Hashem sent down a fire and they died. Why did Nadav and Avihu offer this fire? The Gemara writes that they derived that "although fire descends from heaven then there is a mitzvah for one to bring his own". The Kohanim bring fire every day to the altar for the offerings even though Hashem's fire descends from heaven. Nadav and Avihu therefore felt that although fire had descended from Heaven they had a mitzvah of bringing their own. Their motives appear pure, if so why were they punished? Had they asked Moshe Rabenu he would have informed them that this day was different from all other days. On all other days Hashem did not wish for His miracles to be displayed openly, on this day Hashem wished for everyone to see that His Divine Presence resides in the Beis Hamikdash and that He accepted the offerings of the people. They however did not ask Moshe and for this they were punished. Their intent was purely for Heaven's sake, yet they did not act properly. In service of Hashem it is important to discern not only the difference between mitzvah and sin but even the distinction between mitzvoth. Two different acts may be mitzvoth but it is important to understand which to choose and which takes precedence. Dovid Hamelech said: "I have set Hashem before me always, because He is at my right hand I shall not falter" (Tehillim 16:8). Does this imply that he will falter on the left side, certainly Hashem protects us on the right and left side. Rather what Dovid Hamelech meant is that there are two rights - a person may think he is in the right, yet David prayed for siyata d'Shmaya not to perform improper deeds. We are not always aware of what the right thing to do is and we need Hashem's help in making these decisions. The Mesillas Yesharim writes that Hashem placed man in a situation where in every step there is danger from all sides and must exercise extreme caution. On the one hand a person should have bitachon that Hashem will provide his food, on the other hand a person may not sit back and say Hashem provides so there is no need to work. It was only in the desert that food descended from Heaven. We must work for our bread yet have bitachon that it comes from Hashem. One who sees a poor starving man should not say: "man's sustenance is decreed on Rosh Hashana", clearly Hashem decided that this man did not deserve, why should I give him charity? While it is certainly true that Hashem provides, on the other hand he gave us a mitzvah of giving tzdaka and we must do whatever we can for this poor man. Thus bitachon can be misused and thus pose a danger and therefore one must give to the poor while at the same time a person must realize that if he does not give to the poor, Hashem will find another way to provide for the poor. Hashem sent us poor people in order that we have the opportunity to perform a mitzvah and merit life in the Next World, not that the poor is unable to manage without us. The Gemara cites a case of two donkeys - one carrying too heavy a load and which one needs to load, clearly one should first remove the load of the laden donkey out of concern for tzaar baali chayim. However, if one donkey belongs to a friend and the other to an enemy, then regardless the donkey of the enemy must be tended to. This is in order to fight and overpower the yetzer hara of enmity. The question is, why should the other donkey suffer simply because I have a yetzer hara? In fact had Hashem wished He could have seen to it that the other donkey does not suffer. There is a dispute between the Rambam and the kabalists whether animals have special individual Providence. It appears from Rashi in Chullin that there is, for he discusses that there is Divine YNA Newsletter Parshat Shmini - Parah 5 of 8 Providence which fish will be eaten by another fish. The Yerushalmi relates the story of R' Shimon hiding from the Romans and observing birds being caught, a heavenly voice descended and announced which bird will be caught which will not be caught. I must do my utmost to overpower the yetzer hara, Hashem will insure that I do what is right. Hashem blessed Yaakov Avinu: "and kings shall issue from you" (Bereishis 35:11). The Gemara explains that at this juncture all of Yaakov's children were already born with the exception of Binyamin, thus these kings were to descend from Binyamin. The first king from Binyamin was King Shaul. The Gemara explains that Avner Chief of Staff of Shaul Hamelech understood this pasuk to mean that in the event Shaul would be killed then his son Ish Boshet would take over. So it happened, Avner crowned Ish Boshet as king following Shaul's passing.