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The community would like to thank those that helped organize the Purim Festivities allowing it to be a success (considering the times). We look forward to next year being a BIGGER success!!
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Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
2) Halakhat Hashavoua - David Azerad
3) Holy Jokes!
1)PERASHAT HASHAVOUA
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Sav- Accepting Criticism
The prophecy read as the Haftara for Parashat Sav comes from the Book of Yirmiyahu (7), and in this prophecy, Yirmiyahu criticizes the people for offering sacrifices without undergoing a process of repentance and change. Parashat Sav speaks about the sacrifices, and this prophecy reminds us that sacrifices alone do not suffice. In order to achieve G-d’s atonement and favor, the sacrifices must be accompanied by a genuine commitment to improve one’s conduct.
Yirmiyahu here bemoans the fact that Beneh Yisrael had acted "according to the will of their evil heart" (7:25), and that when G-d sent prophets to criticize the people and urge them to repent, "they did not listen to Me, they did not turn their ear; they made their necks stiff, and were worse than their fathers" (7:26). The people refused to accept the prophets’ rebuke, stubbornly persisting in their wayward conduct.
Rav Avraham Pam (1913-2001), in discussing this Haftara, elaborates on the importance of humbly accepting criticizing. Our instinct upon hearing criticism is to reject it, to insist that we are correct and that we have no need to change anything. But if we never accept criticism, we will never grow. There are many improper things that we do of which we are unaware until somebody draws our attention to the fact that we act wrongly. Thus, we cannot possibly hope to change and become better if we refuse to accept criticism, to listen with an open mind and ear when people point out to us our mistakes and wrongdoing.
Rav Pam related a humorous story about his father, Rav Meir Pam (1879-1969), who served as a Rabbi in Brownsville. Once, Rav Meir found it necessary to harshly rebuke the congregation, and delivered a sermon critical of their conduct. Afterward, one of the members approached him and said, "Wow, Rabbi, you really gave it to them!"
"I had to bite my lip not to laugh or say anything," Rav Meir later told his son. "He was exactly the person I was talking to!"
This exemplifies the natural tendency that we all have when it comes to criticism. It’s uncomfortable to admit that we act wrongly, so we prefer to deflect it, to insist that our behavior is perfect and beyond reproach, and it is everyone else who needs to hear criticism.
We did not come into this world perfect, nor will we ever achieve perfection. Our goal, however, must be to constantly grow and improve. And in order for this to happen, we must keep our minds open, humbly acknowledging that we are far from perfect, and being prepared to accept the uncomfortable criticism given to us by others. If we live this way, then we will continually grow and become better, thereby fulfilling our purpose here in this world.
2) HALAKHAT HASHAVOUA
Selected & translated by David Azerad, Hazzan Maghen Abraham
Halachot of Shabbat According to Maran Harav Obadia Yosef Zt"L
Bicycles on Shabbat ,can we ride on them ?
Our rabbis who have ruled in the last hundred years, have discussed the matter of bicycles on Shabbat, should riding them be forbidden on Shabbat, or should we allow them?
Initially, Rabbi Yosef Mashash wrote that cycling should be prohibited on Shabbat, because there is a great fear that the bicycles will break down while traveling, and the passenger will come to repair them on Shabbat. Therefore, a ban should be imposed on them, as in the case of playing an instrument on Shabbat, for fear that it would break and we would fix them on Shabbat.
In the case of riding bicycles on Shabbat However, Rabbi Obadiah Yosef wrote that since the bicycle was not available at the time of the sages of the Talmud, and today the sages of Israel do not have the authority to make new decrees on Am Yisrael, so it is difficult not allow for this reason (bicycles can break down) and forbid cycling on Shabbat.
Indeed, Rabbi Yosef Chaim, author of the book Ben Ish Chai, wrote that since we do not have the authority to make decrees, as this authority was in the hands of the sages of the Talmud, the sage's decree regarding the use of an instrument should not be compared to the use of bicycles on Shabbat.
Maran Harav Yosef Obadiah Zt’l continues in his book Hazon Ovadia Shabbat 8: 1, and in the responsa Yabia Omer, He agreed that cycling should be prohibited on Shabbat, according to what it is said in Tractate Shabbat (113), "אם תשיב משבת רגלך - מעשות דרכיך". That walking on Shabbat should be different then walking during the week and from this the Chachamim learned that we should not run on Shabbat.
Therefore, since most cycling is done for distances, unlike the way to walk on Shabbat, it seems by most poskim that it would be forbidden to ride a bicycle on Shabbat, even for the purpose of a Mitzvah.
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach
David Azerad
3) HOLY JoKeS!!
Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah, to brighten your day
: One day, coming back from trading in the town, a village’s men find a beggar sitting at the side of the road leading into the village. ‘Moishe’ they say, ‘What are you doing out here?’ He told them ‘The rabbi appointed me as the village watchman. I sit here all day watching for the messiah.’ ‘What kind of job is that!’ they say. ‘Well,’ Moishe said, ‘the pay is not too good, but it’s steady work.’
