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Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
2) Halakhat Hashavoua (Halakhot related to day to day life) By Hazzan David Azerad -
Mitzvah of preserving Shabbat
3) Holy Jokes!
4) For KIDS
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Pinhas: The Covenant of Peace
In the beginning of Parashat Pinhas, G-d speaks to Moshe and announces that He would be rewarding Pinhas for his bold action during the tragic event of Ba’al Pe’or. As we read in the final verses of Parashat Balak, Beneh Yisrael engaged in illicit relationships with the women of Moab, and worshipped Moab’s deity, in response to which G-d sent a deadly plague that killed many thousands among Beneh Yisrael. Pinhas ended the plague by killing Zimri – a leader of one of the tribes of Beneh Yisrael – as he committed a public sinful act with a woman from Midyan. G-d announced that He would be rewarding Pinhas, granting him "Beriti Shalom" – "My covenant of peace."
The Or Ha’hayim Ha’kadosh (Rav Haim Ben-Attar, 1696-1743) explains this verse amidst his discussion in Sefer Debarim of the Ir Ha’nidahat – the extraordinary law requiring killing all the inhabitants of a city that embraced idol worship. The Torah promises Beneh Yisrael that if they fulfill this command, and eliminate the people of such a city, then G-d "will grant your compassion, and have compassion on you" (Debarim 13:18). The Or Ha’hayim explains that G-d promises not only to treat the nation compassionately, but also that He would "grant you compassion" – ensure that the act of killing a city’s population would not engender a violent character. Normally, people who begin acting violently develop a violent nature. G-d assures Beneh Yisrael that when they are compelled to eliminate a city that worships idols (something which, incidentally, the Gemara tells never actually happened), He would see to it that this will not affect their compassionate personalities, and they will remain kind, loving and merciful people even after going through this experience.
The Or Ha’hayim explains G-d’s promise to Pinchas along similar lines. Although Pinhas committed an act of murder, he was guaranteed that this would not have an impact on his character. G-d granted Pinhas His "covenant of peace" – His guarantee that he would remain a peaceful, kind person despite having killed two people for the sake of G-d’s honor.
This insight teaches us that every action we perform impacts upon our character. Every slight inappropriate act makes us more likely to then commit another inappropriate act. If we are careful to perform all our actions sincerely for the sake of G-d, following His instructions and striving to fulfill His will, then we are guaranteed His "covenant of peace," that our actions will refine and elevate our characters, such that we continue to grow each day of our lives.
achieve greatness that would otherwise be unimaginable.
Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad
The Mitzva to Preserve Shabbat as a Day of Rest -Peninei Halacha
The Torah commands us to refrain from melakha on Shabbat: “But the seventh day is Shabbat of the Lord your God; you shall not do any melakha” (Shemot 20:9), that is, any of the 39 types of melakha done while erecting the Mishkan, as explained to Moshe at Sinai. The Sages added safeguards (“fences”) so that no one would do anything that might lead to violating a Torah prohibition. There is an additional commandment in the Torah to rest on Shabbat: “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease” (Shemot 23:12). The point here is that in addition to avoiding melakha on Shabbat, we are also meant to cease and rest from toils and troubles. Thus one should not open his store or move heavy objects in preparation for the workweek. Even though these are not included in the 39 prohibited categories of melakha, nevertheless acting in these ways negates the mitzvah of resting on Shabbat (Ramban, Vayikra 23:24; see MT 21:1 and the next section below).
Continuing with this line of thought, we find the prophets enjoining us to preserve the holy and sanctified atmosphere of Shabbat, a day on which one must avoid mundane activities. One who is careful to follow this merits great rewards, as Yeshayahu proclaims:
If you refrain from trampling the Shabbat, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day; if you call Shabbat “delight,” the Lord’s holy [day] “honored,” and if you honor it, and not go in your own way, nor look to your affairs, nor speak of them – then you will seek the Lord’s delight. I will set you astride the heights of the earth, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Yaakov – for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Yeshayahu 58:13-14)
The Sages derive many guidelines about Shabbat from this verse, and the common denominator is that one should not behave on Shabbat as one does during the week. The Gemara elaborates:
“Honor it” – your Shabbat clothes should not be like your weekday clothes…. “Not go in your own way” – how you walk on Shabbat should not be like how you walk on weekdays. “Nor look to your affairs” – it is forbidden to look after your affairs on Shabbat, but one may look after the affairs of heaven [i.e., religious matters]. “Nor speak of them” – the topics you choose to speak on Shabbat should be different than the ones you speak during the week. Speaking [about mundane matters] is forbidden, but thinking about them is permitted. (Shabbat 113a).
These directives have a higher status than general rabbinic enactments since they are rooted in the Torah’s commandment to rest and are elaborated upon by the prophets.
We have already explained the mitzvot connected to honoring and delighting in Shabbat. Honor (kavod) is expressed by wearing special Shabbat clothes, showering, cleaning the house, and lighting candles. Delight (oneg) is expressed by making Shabbat enjoyable through meals, sleep, and Torah study. In this chapter, we will explain the mitzvot and the rabbinic safeguards meant to protect Shabbat’s atmosphere as a holy day of rest. These mitzvot are at the root of everything that the Sages through the ages forbade as a weekday activity. Any unquestionably mundane activity is prohibited on Shabbat. This includes ball-playing for adults, swimming, working out, and bike riding. To protect the spirit of Shabbat, the Sages also introduced the prohibition of muktzeh (as explained in the next chapter) and ordained that one may not play musical instruments.
Even though the mitzvot to preserve Shabbat’s spirit and avoid weekday activity (uvdin de-ĥol) are of a higher status than the safeguards of the Sages, nevertheless the halakha is stricter in demanding adherence to the safeguards, such as the prohibition to do melakha with a shinui or to ask a non-Jew to do a melakha, which are forbidden even for the sake of a mitzvah, whereas the prohibitions connected to preserving the spirit of Shabbat may be disregarded in the service of a mitzvah (as explained below). Some prohibitions are comprised of both of these elements: if prohibited solely to preserve the spirit of Shabbat, it might have been permitted for the sake of a mitzvah, but since the Sages decreed that it is prohibited, it remains prohibited even for the sake of a mitzvah.
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach
David Azerad
3) HOLY JoKeS!!
Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah or current events, to brighten your day
4) FOR KIDS
Click on the image to open the youtube video
