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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
-Where to Light and Who Must Light -Peninei Halacha
3) Holy Jokes!
4) For KIDS
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Shemot: Consistency – The Greatest Achievement of All
The Torah in Parashat Shemot tells of Pharaoh’s cruel decree that all male infants born to Beneh Yisrael should be put to death immediately at the time of birth. The two Israelite midwives who delivered the nation’s babies heroically defied Pharaoh’s decree, risking their lives in order to protect the newborns.
The Torah identifies these two women by the names "Shifra" and "Pu’a," but our Sages teach us that these were not their real names. These women were actually Yocheved and Miriam – Moshe Rabbenu’s mother and sister, respectively – but they were referred to as "Shifra" and "Pu’a" because of their expertise and devoted work in caring for the newborn babies under their charge. The name "Shifra" evolves from the Hebrew verb "sh.f.r.," which means "enhance" or "beautify." Yocheved earned this name because she skillfully cared for the infants and made them beautiful. And Miriam was named "Pu’a" because of the playful sounds she would make to calm and soothe the infants ("Pu Pu, Ah Ah").
One Rabbi noted the irony in the fact that Yocheved and Miriam were given names commemorating their work as midwives. These two women were national heroes. They flatly ignored an explicit command of the powerful Egyptian king in order to save countless lives, putting their own lives at risk to this end. Isn’t this heroism more worthy of commemoration in their names than their handling of babies? Why were they named specifically for their work as midwives, and not for their heroism in defying Pharaoh?
We learn from the names "Shifra" and "Pu’a" that consistent, day-to-day devotion is a greater achievement than the "big things" done at special moments. Many, and perhaps even all, people are capable of rising to the occasion at certain times and achieve something great. We oftentimes see community members who excel when they are called upon to join a committee, spearhead a project, or meet a certain urgent need that arose. This is certainly laudable, but the true barometer of greatness is the consistent handling of one’s ordinary day-to-day challenges and responsibilities. There is much to be said for the big moments, and Yocheved and Miriam are undoubtedly known as heroines for their defiance of Pharaoh. But even greater than isolated moments of heroism is lifelong consistency, devotedly tending to one’s duties each and every day, just as Shifra and Pu’a worked devotedly caring for the newborn infants day in and day out.
Many people do not regard parenting as a glorious profession, but in light of this lesson of Shifra and Pu’a, good parenting is the greatest of all achievements. A good parent works consistently, every day, tending to the children’s needs on an ongoing basis. Cooking and serving dinner, helping with homework, chauffeuring to appointments, birthday parties and afterschool programs – each chore on its own may not necessarily reflect greatness, but when all this is done consistently, day after day, week after week, and year after year, it reflects greatness like nothing else.
Certainly, we should aspire to rise to the occasion when the big moments arise, when we are called upon in extraordinary situations to act "heroically" and do something exceptional. But the greatest achievement in life is the day-to-day grind, being consistently good in meeting the tasks that come our way on a daily basis. This is how we become truly great people.
Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad
Where to Light and Who Must Light -Peninei Halacha
It is a mitzva to have light in every room that will be used on Friday night, so that people will not trip. However, the primary mitzva is to light the candles where the meal will be eaten, since by eating the meal by their light, they increase the honor and pleasure of Shabbat. Therefore, the berakha is recited over these candles (Rema 263:10; MB ad loc. 2). If the other rooms have light thanks to electric lights in the home or streetlights shining in, there is no need to light candles there as well.
The candles must remain lit until the end of the Friday night meal. Ideally, one should make sure that light remains until people go to sleep (SSK 43:17). Today, when one can easily leave on electric lights, ideally one should make sure that there is light in the house all night, so that one who wakes up during the night does not trip.
The mitzva to light candles applies to all Jews, men and women, single and married, since everyone is obligated to honor and enjoy Shabbat. However, within the family, the wife takes precedence for this mitzva, because she is the ba’alat ha-bayit (mistress of the household) and is responsible for running it. Therefore, she has the privilege of fulfilling this mitzva, which is designed to ensure peace in the home. She exempts all other members of her household from her lighting. But if the wife is running late and it is getting close to shki’a, her husband or one of the children should light the candles so that she does not risk desecrating Shabbat by lighting the candles herself (SA 263:2; MB 262:11).
The precedence of women over men concerning candle lighting indicates that shalom bayit is primarily dependent on women, and the light of Torah and faith permeates the home due to the wife. Through her special inner awareness, she knows how to illuminate the path of faith for her husband and children, and she directs them toward diligent Torah study. This accords with the words of the Sages: “The promise [of future reward] for women is greater than that of men,” because they send their children to study Torah in school, encourage their husbands to study long hours in the beit midrash, and wait for them to come home (Berakhot 17a). Nevertheless, when the wife is unable to light the candles, the husband should do so, for when necessary, he too can bring peace to the home and introduce an atmosphere of faith and Torah to it.
One whose wife is away for any reason while he remains at home must light the candles with a berakha. Even if he has an adult daughter, the mitzva to light the candles devolves upon him because he is the head of the household. If he wishes, though, he may ask his daughter to light for him and the rest of the household (SSK ch. 43 n. 46).
Some have the custom that all the girls in the household who are old enough to understand the mitzva light candles with a berakha along with their mother. However, most poskim maintain that only the mother of the family should light, and that is the custom that some follow. It is proper for every woman to follow her family custom.
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
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SHEMOT ACTIVITY PACK (click on image to go to site)
