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SEFIRAT HAOMER BOOKLET
Isaac Darwiche has put together this years' booklet for Sefirat Haomer which can be found here
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Lag BaOmer (Hebrew: לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר, LaG Bāʿōmer), also Lag B'Omer or Lag LaOmer, is a Jewish religious holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar.
According to kabbalistic tradition, this day marks the hillula (celebration, interpreted by some as anniversary of the death) of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, "the Rashbi", a Mishnaic sage and leading disciple of Rabbi Akiva in the 2nd century, and the day on which he revealed the deepest secrets of kabbalah in the form of the Zohar (Book of Splendor, literally 'radiance'), a landmark text of Jewish mysticism. This association has spawned several well-known customs and practices on Lag BaOmer, including the lighting of bonfires, pilgrimages to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the northern Israeli town of Meron, and various customs at the tomb itself. However, the association of Lag BaOmer with the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai may be based on a printer's error.[2]
Another tradition that makes Lag BaOmer a day of Jewish celebration identifies it as the day on which the plague that killed Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples came to an end, and for this reason the mourning period of Sefirat HaOmer concludes on Lag BaOmer for some believers.
-Wikipedia
Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
2) Halakhat Hashavoua - Hazzan David Azerad
3) Holy Jokes!
1)PERASHAT HASHAVOUA
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Emor: The Sanctity of Shabbat
The Torah in Parashat Emor discusses the Moadim – the holidays which we observe over the course of the year – and it begins with the most frequent "holiday" which we observe – Shabbat. After reiterating the prohibition against performing Melacha (forbidden activity) on Shabbat, the Torah writes, "Shabbat Hi L’Hashem Be’chol Moshebotechem" – "It is Shabbat for G-d, in all your residences" (23:3).
Why does the Torah emphasize that Shabbat must be observed "in all your residences"? Would anyone have mistakenly assumed that the obligations and restrictions of Shabbat apply in some places but not in others? Would there be any reason to think that these laws depend on one’s location?
The Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) explained that this emphasis is needed to dispel the misconception that the special Kedusha of Shabbat is present only in the synagogue. Unfortunately, there are those who attend synagogue services on Shabbat, listen to the Rabbi’s speech, and perhaps even attend a class, but at home they treat Shabbat like an ordinary weekday. They mistakenly assume that Shabbat revolves solely around the synagogue, as it is only there where we experience the special sanctity of Shabbat. The Torah therefore emphasizes that Shabbat is to be observed as a sacred day "Be’chol Moshebotechem," wherever a person is, and not only in the synagogue.
The sanctity of Shabbat fills our homes, and thus requires us to conduct ourselves and run our households differently on Shabbat. This sanctity must affect the way we speak, the nature of our Shabbat meals, and the pursuits we engage in on Shabbat. Shabbat is a time to direct our focus toward spiritual matters, not a time to catch up on our newspaper reading. Shabbat affects us "Be’chol Moshebotechem," wherever we are, including our homes, thus requiring us to elevate our conduct to a higher standard.
2) HALAKHAT HASHAVOUA
Selected & translated by David Azerad, Hazzan Maghen Abraham
Laws of Torah study, according to the rulings of Maran Rabbi Obadiah Yosef Zt” l
What is important to study daily and why?
Someone who is unable to study Torah because of his preoccupation with his livelihood, should strive to find free time to learn at the very least the Halachot- laws of the Torah, and especially on Shabbat and holidays when he is less preoccupied, in order to observe the Mitzvah of " ושננתם לבניך" And You shall teach your children. One should try to learn at least 2 Halachot a day.
What will a person do if he does not know how or can not study Torah?
Anyone who is unable to study Torah because he is extremely busy and preoccupied, and wants to accomplish the Mitzvah of studying Torah can do it by contributing to Torah institutions, Yeshivot or a Talmid Chacham studying in a Yeshiva, and he is considered as engaged in Torah himself.
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach
David Azerad
3) HOLY JoKeS!!
Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah, to brighten your day
Q: How many Google employees does it take to light a bonfire?
A: Five. One to the light the match and 4 to design the home-page graphics
Q. What do you call the a baby potato on Lag B’Omer
A: Small fry.
Just in time for Lag B’Omer, Intel Israel announces its greatest invention to date. Hailed as the fastest and best microprocessor of all times – the potato chip.
Lag B’omer is for pyromaniacs who weren’t satisfied with Hanukkah.
