Torah Tidbits
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
LDT: The two most common names of G-d in the Torah are E-LO-HIM and A-DO-NOI (as an act of respect for G-d’s sacred names, these two are generally pronounced ELOKIM and HASHEM respectively, when referred to other than in prayer or Torah reading). ELOKIM is usually considered to be G-d’s name of strict judgment, whereas HASHEM carries the connotation of Divine Mercy. Notice that in the accounts of Egyptian oppression, the predominant name of G-d is Elokim (especially in 2:23-25).
Continue ReadingVA'EIRA Stats
VA’EIRA Stats
14th of the 54 sedras;
2nd of 11 in Sh’mot
Written on 221.8 lines in a Torah; ranks 16th
16 parshiot; 8 open, 8 closed
VA'EIRA Stats
VA’EIRA Stats
14th of the 54 sedras;
2nd of 11 in Sh’mot
Written on 221.8 lines in a Torah; ranks 16th
16 parshiot; 8 open, 8 closed
The 6th of the 8 Terms
The official count of Terms of Redemption (L’SHONOT GEULA) is 5, with the first three related to Y’TZI’AT MITZRAYIM (the Exodus) - V’HOTZEITI, V’HI- TZALTI, V’GAALTI (see Towards Better Davening) for the review of proper syllable-accenting) - I will take you out, I will save you, I will redeem you. The fourth term is V’LAKACHTI - I will take you (unto Me as a Nation), generally understood to represent Revelation at Sinai, Matan Torah. And the 5th term is V’HEIVEITI,
I will bring you (to the land I promised to your ancestors). The Four Terms are matched to the four cups of wine at the Seder, and the Fifth Term is represented by the Kos shel Eliyahu, which points to the Complete Geula, still in the future.
Word of the Month
A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem…
Continue ReadingTraining Supervisors
As we stated last week, we do not actively seek women with a medical or a biology background to act as our supervisors. Rather, we seek women who are able to work in close and intense conditions and who are very discreet and easy to work with. The women also need to come with impeccable religious credentials in order that there will be no questions about the validity of the supervision and whether it is “kosher” enough.
Continue ReadingSHOV'VIM TAT
My Shabbat guest this week said she saw signs up about an evening of inspiration for SHOV’VIM, did I know what SHOV’VIM is? I must confess that I had heard about it but didn’t know much about it, though I did know enough not to think that it was an evening for SHOVAVIM which is modern Hebrew for Dennis the Menace type of kids. So I opened up the SEFER HATODA’A - The Book of Our Heritage by Rav Eliyahu Ki Tov and which is a handy book that goes through the Jewish calendar, month by month and explains all significant events and activities.
First of all he explained that the word SHOV’VIM comes from initial letters of first 6 sedras in Sh’mot: Sh’mot, Va’eira, Bo, B’shalach, Yitro, Mishpa- tim - and in 13-month years, another two sedras: T’ruma and T’tzaveh, adding to the name, making it SHOV’VIM TAT.
Parsha Points to Ponder
1) What did G-D reveal to Moshe when he told him I AM HASHEM (6:2)? He had revealed Himself to Moshe numerous times already so what was He teaching Moshe with these words?
2) Why does it say that PA’RO SAW THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE PLAGUE leading to the hardening of his heart regarding the plague of frogs (8:11), a language which is not used for any other plague?
3) Why did Pa’ro say the words G-D IS THE RIGHTEOUS ONE specifically after the plague of hail (9:27) and no other plague?
Wisdom and Wit
R’ Simcha Bunim of P’shischa once spoke about Akeidat Yitzchak. “This story seems strange in a way,” he said. “Imagine, if Hashem spoke to you directly and told you to sacrifice your son, wouldn’t you do so? What, then, was so special about what Avraham did?
“The answer to this,” he said, “is that the yetzer hara appeared to Avraham and said to him, - You are old and your wife is old, and Yitzchak was born by a miracle. Hashem promised you that from Yitzchak would arise a great nation. Now, if you kill Yitzchak, Hashem’s promise won’t be fulfilled. “Avraham answered the yetzer hara: - Hashem told me to sacrifice my son, and I will do so. The fact that He promised me that from Yitzchak there would rise a great nation, that’s His concern, not mine.”
CHIZUK-and-IDUD-for-Olim-not-yet-Olim-respectively
The Torah uses five expressions of geula - V’hotzeiti, V’hitzalti, V’gaalti, V’lakachti, V’heiveiti. The first four of these expressions are reflected in the redemption symbolized by the 4 cups of wine that we drink at the seder. Why is the fifth formulation omitted?
Interestingly, Yechezkel (36) also uses four verbs in his description of the final redemption. His language mirrors that of the Torah, since the geula from Mitzrayim is considered the prototype for all future redemptions. The prophet uses “v’heiveiti” - the term not reflected in the cups of wine - as his third stage of redemption. It indicates a physical return. The physical aliya is then to be followed by a spiritual purification process which can only occur in the Holy Land, not on foreign soil (where Yechezkel prophesied).
Lesson # 579 Going Out of Business Sale
I was able to obtain a group of decisions that were handed down by the Beit Dinin of Antwerp. The following is one of those cases:
The case as reported does not contain any names. Thus the names I used herein are fictional.
There was a store merchant in Antwerp who sold cash vouchers at a discount. The vouchers could be used only for purchasing merchandise from the store. Mr. Cohen purchased 100 francs worth of vouchers in January. He did not use the vouchers. In July the merchant announced that he was going out of business. He announced a going out of business sale where all of the merchandise in the store would be sold at a 50% discount. Mr. Cohen went to the store and wanted to buy 100 francs worth of merchandise at the discounted prices. The merchant replied that he would sell Mr. Cohen the merchandise at the price the items cost when Mr. Cohen purchased the vouchers. Mr. Cohen stated that since the vouchers did not so state he wanted to obtain 100 francs worth of merchandise at the price that he was making the purchase. Also Mr. Cohen stated that after he purchased the merchandise at the reduced rates, any balance that he did not use for the purchase of merchandise be remitted to him in cash from the merchant.
In This Issue of Torah Tidbits
- The Knesset Kolumn
- L'sheim Mitzvat Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem
- Birkat Hailanot
- Guest Article
- Candle A Day
- Jewish Law
- Wisdom & Wit
- Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
- Sedra Stats
- Portion of the Portion
- Parsha Points to Ponder
- Person In The Parsha
- Chizuk and Idud
- "From Machon Puah"
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