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The Four Parshiyot
There are four special Sabbaths, each of which derives its name from the additional Torah portion that is read that day. Two of the Sabbaths occur in the weeks leading up to Purim and two in the weeks then leading up to Passover.
This Shabbat is Shabbat Sheqalim
Shabbat Sheqalim (Hebrew: שבת שקלים, lit. 'Shabbat of shekels"') requests each male adult Jew to contribute half of a Biblical shekel for the upkeep of the Tabernacle. The weekly Torah portion is the first section of Ki Tissa. This shabbat takes place before or on 1 Adar. In leap years of the Hebrew calendar, when there are two months of Adar, Shabbat Shekalim is before or on 1 Adar II.
Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
2) Halakhat Hashavoua (Halakhot related to day to day life) By Hazzan David Azerad
-Fulfilling the Obligation via Electric Lights -Peninei Halacha
3) Holy Jokes!
4) For KIDS
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Mishpatim- The Elixir of Life
One of the topics discussed in Parashat Mishpatim is liability for physical injury which one causes to another person. The Torah requires the person responsible for another’s physical injury to make several compensation payments, including "Ve’rapo Yerapeh" – paying for his medical expenses (21:19).
There is a deeper meaning of this phrase, "Ve’rapo Yerapeh," which is based on the teachings of the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572). In Kabbalistic thought, the letter "Yod" is associated with "Hochma," wisdom. The Arizal taught that when a person is attached to Torah wisdom, then he is attached to the source of life. As we say in our Arbit prayer service, "Ki Hem Hayenu Ve’orech Yamenu" – the words of Torah are our source of life and longevity. Likewise, the Sages interpret the verse, "Ve’zot Ha’Torah Asher Sam Moshe" ("This is the Torah which Moshe placed" – Debarim 4:44) as alluding to the fact that Torah is "Sam Hayim" – an "elixir of life." When we cling to Torah, which is associated with the letter "Yod," we sustain our lives and maintain our physical wellbeing. The Arizal explains on this basis the verse in Tehillim (41:4), "Hashem Yis’adenu Al Eres Davai" ("Gd shall support him on his bed of illness"). The word "Davai" has the same letters as "Yod," and the word "Eres" has the same letters as the word "Eser" – ten, the numerical value of the letter Yod. A person falls ill when he loses his connection to the wisdom of Torah, which is associated with the letter "Yod," which results in this letter, which should serve as the person’s source of life and strength, being transformed into "Eres Davai" – a condition of illness, Heaven forbid.
This concept sheds new light on the phrase, "Ve’rapo Yerapeh." The word "Yerapeh" is the word "Rapo" ("heal") with the letter "Yod" added to it. This alludes to the fact that a person is healed when he connects to the letter "Yod," to the wisdom of Torah, which is the source of life and wellbeing.
This notion is also expressed in the Misva of Mahasit Ha’shekel – the half-shekel donation which every member of Beneh Yisrael was required to make each year to the Bet Ha’mikdash. The annual collection of the Mahasit Ha’shekel began on Rosh Hodesh Adar, and we therefore commemorate this Misva by reading the Torah’s command of Mahasit Ha’shekel on the Shabbat before Rosh Hodesh Adar, a special Shabbat which we call "Shabbat Shekalim." The Torah (Shemot 30:13) writes that the "Shekel" consisted of twenty "Gera" (a certain unit of weight), and thus the half-shekel donation consisted of ten "Gera." The Talmud Yerushalmi, in Masechet Shekalim, explains that G-d commanded Beneh Yisrael to donate ten "Gera" to atone for the sin of the golden calf, which entailed a breach of all Ten Commandments. The ten "Gera" of the Mahasit Ha’shekel corresponds to the Ten Commandments, all of which were transgressed at the time of the golden calf, a sin for which the Mahasit Ha’shekel comes to atone.
The Ten Commandments, as Rav Saadia Gaon famously remarked, encapsulate the entire Torah. They are the blueprint, or the skeleton, of all 613 of the Torah’s commands. When Beneh Yisrael worshipped the golden calf, they violated the entire foundation of the Torah, and were thus considered in violation the entire Torah. In so doing, they broke their connection to "Yod," to the wisdom of Torah. And for this reason, as our Sages teach, they lost the gift of eternal life which they received at the time of Matan Torah. The Angel of Death became powerless when Beneh Yisrael received the Torah, and they were thus to have lived forever, but they became again susceptible to death when they worshipped the golden calf. As the wisdom of Torah is what sustains our lives – "Ki Hem Hayenu" – Beneh Yisrael lost their protection from death when they broke their connection to Torah by worshipping the calf.
This is why the Mahasit Ha’shekel donation consists of ten "Gera." This donation is intended to rebuild our connection to "Yod" – the letter associated with the number 10, and which represents the wisdom of Torah. By reinforcing this connection, we reverse the disastrous consequences of the golden calf, and become once again worthy of life, health and joy.
The Misva of Mahasit Ha’shekel, then, reminds us of the vital importance of staying connected to Torah. We must always remember that the wisdom of Torah is the "elixir of life," it is what sustains us both physically and spiritually, and thus the intensive study of Torah must be a priority for us each and every day.
Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad
Fulfilling the Obligation via Electric Lights -Peninei Halacha
If necessary, one may fulfill the mitzva by switching on an incandescent light bulb. A bulb is similar to a candle as the glowing metal filament is the equivalent of a wick, and the electricity is the equivalent of the oil or paraffin. However, some maintain that one does not fulfill the obligation with an incandescent bulb, because in a candle the fuel is adjacent to the wick, which is not the case with an electric bulb. Nevertheless, the vast majority of poskim maintain that one may fulfill one’s obligation by lighting an incandescent bulb, since there is a halakhic consensus that electric light is considered fire and igniting an electric light on Shabbat violates the Torah prohibition against lighting a fire on Shabbat. Nevertheless, it is preferable to use a candle for the mitzva so that one fulfills the requirement according to all opinions. Additionally, by lighting a candle, it is more apparent that this is a special lighting in honor of Shabbat.
It is preferable le-khatĥila,( initially), to turn off electric lights before lighting the candles and to turn them back on in honor of Shabbat just before lighting the candles. In this way, the mitzva is beautified greatly, through the candles and the electric lights. Moreover, if electric lights are on when lighting the candles, it is not apparent that we are lighting candles to fulfill a mitzva, since there was light already. Therefore, it is good to turn off the electric lights several minutes before candle lighting, and when we come to light the candles, we should first turn on the electric lights and then immediately light the Shabbat candles. When reciting the berakha, one should have the electrical lights in mind as well. All this is ideal, but technically, even if the electric lights are on, one may light the candles with a berakha. We are not concerned that this is a berakha in vain, because lighting the additional candles to fulfill the mitzva provides additional light in honor of Shabbat
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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MISHPATIM
