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OnegShabbos com North West London's Weekly Torah and Opinion Sheets Akiva Yitzchock Spector Nefesh Hatorah פרשת שמות Edgware, UK כ”א טבת תשע"ו 2nd January 2016 For Questions on Divrei Torah or articles, to receive this via email or for sponsorship opportunities please email [email protected] Now in Yerushalayim, Antwerp, Baltimore, Bet Shemesh, Borehamwood, Chile, Cyprus, Edgware, Elstree, Gibraltar, Hale, Holland, Hong Kong, Ilford, Johannesburg, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, Miami, New York, Petach Tikva, Philadelphia, Radlett, Toronto, Vienna, Zurich Catchup on All Oneg Live Shiurim at הדלקת נרות מוצש’’ק LONDON: 3:45 PM LONDON: 5:01 PM www.torahanytime.com KINDLY לעילוי נשמת הש"ץ שלמה בן אברהם משה ז"ל לעילוי נשמת חנה בת אלעזר ע"ה SPONSORED THE ANGEL AND THE THORNBUSH Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker Mipeninei Noam Elimelech PARSHAH And an angel of Hashem This is the meaning of the term maros negaim , A HOLY FIRE literally, “signs or sights of affliction” (Negaim 1:1). It happened when the Rebbe Reb Elimelech appeared to Moshe in a Afflictions of the soul, such as negative character was wandering in exile that he once entered an inn fiery flame from within flaws, can be rectified and thus bring man to to wash his hands in the kitchen. He washed and the bush. (Shemos 3:2) spiritual heights and wonders, as explained above. then he went on his way. The cooks in the kitchen [The Mishnah then goes on to discuss] “a blemish were baking bread when Rebbe Elimelech had Man’s essential function is to uproot his as strong as snow” — if a man is afflicted with a entered, and while they worked, a gentile stole into negative character traits, such as hate, jealousy, trait that afflicts him as a blemish does his body, the kitchen and took a loaf. be as strong and fierce as a leopard to overcome vanity, lust, envy, and greed. These flaws must When the baker noticed the missing bread, it until it can be purified as snow, as the verse be rectified in order that man can rise to great he assumed that the poor beggar who was none teaches, “If your sins are scarlet, they shall be spiritual heights with deveikus, cleaving to other than the Rebbe in disguise had stolen a loaf. whitened as snow” (Yeshayahu 1:18). “Or like sid, Hashem Yisbarach. The baker was furious and sent his servant on cement” — there is an even higher level: “like the This is the meaning of “And He appeared horseback to catch up with the thief and give him to Moshe in a fiery flame from within the bush.” whitewash of the Sanctuary walls.” a sound beating to teach him a lesson. Through overcoming the bad character traits, This alludes to lofty holiness. “And Hashem As the servant beat the Rebbe, who lovingly which are like thorns, man can achieve greatness. saw that he turned to see [the bush]” — Hashem accepted these blows as a decree of Hashem, a fire He burns with a fiery enthusiasm to serve Hashem saw that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to be rid of all broke out in the inn and nothing could put it out. [and then Hashem reveals Himself to him]. of his negative traits so that he could truly see — The baker immediately realized that this must be “And behold, the bush was burning in the fire, so that then he would truly see wonders and great a punishment from Heaven for sending the servant but the bush was not consumed” — but man things. after the beggar, and he quickly saddled his horse realises that even though he is now full of fiery In truth, this is impossible until the holy and rode out to find them. enthusiasm, that excitement hasn’t burned away Mashiach will come to redeem us and remove the his flaws and bad traits completely. When he caught sight of his servant, the non- spirit of impurity from the land completely. Thus, Jew boasted of the sound beating he had given the “And Moshe said: ‘I will turn aside and look at Hashem said, “It is not possible for you to reach beggar and pointed to the spot in the woods were this great sight’ ” — Moshe said: I will go out and this lofty level. ‘Remove your shoes from your feet’ leave behind my flaws completely and then I will he had left him. The baker found the Rebbe by one ” — the word shal , “remove,” has the same root as see great wonders and achieve spiritual heights. of the trees, shouting over and over, “Ribbono shel the word she’elah , “borrowed,” teaching us that Olam! I will not daven minchah until You put out “Why is the bush not consumed?” — the word when you achieve this level, it is like a borrowed the fire in the inn!” yivaar , “consumed,” has the same grammatical root object. You cannot fully own or achieve such a as in the verse “And he grazed [ u’bier ] in another’s Seeing the Rebbe praying for his inn after what level until the coming of Mashiach, may it be soon. field” (Shemos 22:4). The verse is saying: why are he had done, the baker fell to his knees, begging these bad traits, which are compared to the thorny “Because the land is holy” — thus, you should the Rebbe’s forgiveness. The holy Tzaddik forgave bush, not completely consumed and destroyed by concentrate your energies in places that contain him on the spot. The baker gratefully returned the fires of excitement and enthusiasm to serve physical matter that need refining and sanctify it home to find that his inn was safe and the fire had Hashem [like grass that is consumed by an ox]? to make it holy. been put out. (Ohel Elimelech 120) THIS PAGE HAS BEEN KINDLY SPONSORED 020 8349 0321 [email protected] With best wishes www.ogrstockdenton.com 1. Who was the first and last sheivet to die in Mitzrayim? QUIZ TIME ?? livingwithmitzvos.com 2 MY WEEKLY HALACHIC QUESTION Rabbi Avi Wiesenfeld Rosh Kollel, Yerushalayim and Rav at Kav Halachah Beis Horaah HALACHAH Late Night Cholent Scoop… When I get a knock on my door late on a Friday night I normally expect an food inside it is still hot, stirring causes an improvement that it wouldn’t have emergency medical question, most commonly from a man whose wife is in labour had if one wouldn’t have mixed it.8 asking for the guidelines of when to go to the hospital and any halachos pertaining to the situation. This time was different, true, it was a man, but this time his question Q. What if the food inside the pot is FULLY cooked, may it be stirred? seemed to be more of an urgent nature; how would it be permissible to scoop out A. Here is depends on whether the pot is on or off the fire: some of his wife’s cholent late on a Friday night and still be allowed to allow the pot  ON the Fire: Once food is fully cooked, it is no longer subject to ‘cooking’.9 to continue simmering over the flame until it would be eaten the following morning? Consequently, it should be permitted to mix the food – even on the fire – since So, to avoid all future late night ‘emergency’ knocks (and for many people the trek up is fully cooked, mixing it will not affect anything. Nevertheless, there is an the seven flights in my building to reach my apartment), here is a summary of our opinion that holds that even though the food is fully cooked, it should not be conversation. mixed whilst it is on the fire.10 [There are various reasons given for this novel halacha – a) there may be a few pieces that were not fully cooked, and mixing Q. Is it permitted to remove food from a pot of food that is not fully it causes them to become fully cooked. b) dispersing the taste around the pot cooked? is a type of improvement that is similar to cooking] A. No,1 even if the pot has been removed from the fire.2  OFF the Fire: It is permitted to mix food that is fully cooked if the pot is off the fire11. Nevertheless, there are Poskim that are stringent even here. The halacha Q. If the food is not fully cooked and on the fire, is it permitted to scoop is one may be lenient, but Poskim praise one that is stringent even here.12 out only from the top layer of the food, being careful that no mixing occurs? Q. What if one is unsure if the food in the pot is fully cooked or not, e.g., on Friday night when wishing to mix the cholent? A. Since the main concern when removing food from a pot of uncooked food is that the inserting of the spoon causes the food to be mixed in some way,3 if one A. It should not be done.13 is careful to remove only food from the top layer of the pot, or by poking what he wants with a fork, no mixing will occur and is permitted.4 We are not done yet…..  Remember, doing so will not allow one to replace the lid, since the food is not In addition to the prohibition of bishul – cooking, when removing a pot from its fully cooked. source of heat Chazal forbade returning food to its source of heat on Shabbos.