Torah Tidbits
From the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook by Rabbi Chanan Morrison
Reliance on Miracles - Adapted from Ein Ayah vol. III, pp. 166-168
Continue ReadingAliya by Aliya Sedra Summary
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p’tucha or s’tuma. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p’sukim in the parsha.
Numbers in [square brackets] are the Mitzva-count of Sefer HaChinuch AND Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI (positive mitzva); L=LAV (prohibition). X:Y is the perek and pasuk from which the mitzva comes.
Eisav, Lavan, Eisav - then...
Back at the end of Toldot, things were fairly simple and straightforward - The Torah tells us that Eisav thought (said in his heart) to kill Yaakov (after their father Yitzchak would die). Rivka finds out about Eisav’s thought and she engineers Yaakov’s departure from Be’er Sheva, to keep him out of harm’s way from Eisav.
Continue ReadingTTriddles
TTRIDDLES…
are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout, usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT, they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section. The best solution set submitted each week (there isn’t always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal
Divrei Menachem
One element of Ya’akov’s prayer - before Yaakov confronts his nemesis Eisav - reads as follows: “I have been diminished by all the kindnesses and by all the truth that You have done for your servant [Yaakov]” (B’reishit 32:11).
Continue ReadingUterine Transplants - Castration?
We continue this week with our discussion of the novel medical procedure of uterine transplants where a mother donated her uterus to her daughter in order for her to be able to get pregnant and carry a baby.
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What Kind of Kiss?
I guess I am still naive. I was shocked when I saw the title of the article on Arutz Sheva by Giulio Meotti titled “The Vatican on Gaza: Israel is a Baby-Killer”.
To quote from the article, “Not a word was heard from the Vatican all the years Sderot babies were in mortal danger. They began noticing the violence last week.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Vatican Council for Culture, commenting on the war between Israel and Hamas, delivered a severe attack on the Jewish people: “I think of the ‘massacre of the innocents’. Children are dying in Gaza, their mothers’ shouts is a perennial cry, a universal cry”.
CHIZUK and IDUD for Olim not yet Olim respectively
After having dealt successfully with both Lavan and Eisav, Yaakov arrives “whole” in Sh’chem (modern day Nablus). Based on B’reishit 33:18, VAYICHAN ET PNEI HA’IR “And he encamped before the city” (provided for the city), the Talmud Shabbat 23:2 relates that Yaakov arranged a system of currency which replaced the then current barter system. This is one of the three “tikunim”, or arrangements, that Yaakov instituted for the benefit of all the inhabitants of the city. Yaakov is not solely focused on his own needs and interests, but rather displays interest in the welfare of the wider community. As an Aguda official once explained his position to me, “We too are interested in what happens on 42nd Street, for we realize that whatever happens in the larger surrounding community, will eventually trickle down and have an effect on the Jewish community as well”. Rav Soloveitchik put it more positively when he writes in his article called “Confrontation” - ” we are human beings, committed to the general welfare and progress of mankind… we are interested in combating disease, in alleviating human suffering, in protecting man’s rights, in helping the needy, etc.”
Continue ReadingVebbe Rebbe
The Orthodox Union - via its website - fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli zt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah… and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah…
Continue ReadingWord 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…
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In This Issue of Torah Tidbits
- Lead Tidbit
- Guest Article
- Candle A Day
- Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
- Sedra Stats
- Vebbe Rebbe
- Portion of the Portion
- TTriddles "Report"
- Person In The Parsha
- Word of the Month
- Chizuk and Idud
- Divrei Menachem
- "From Machon Puah"
Recent Torah Tidbits
- Issue 1043 - Shabbat Parshat B’har-B’chukotai - Shabbat M’vorchim
- Issue 1042 - Shabbat Parshat Emor
- Issue 1041 - Shabbat Parshat Acharei-K'Doshim
- Issue 1040 - Shabbat Parshat Tazri'a-M'tzora
- Issue 1039 - Shabbat Parshat Tzav-Hagadol-Shmini
- Issue 1038 - Shabbat Parshat Vayikra
- Issue 1037 - Shabbat Parshat Vayakhel-P'Kudei-Hachodesh
- View All Issue Archives
Candle Lighting and Havdala
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Word of the Month
For your calendrical knowledge: Most of the dates in the fixed Jewish Calendar have 4 days a week they can fall on and 3 that they cannot. This is all related to the LO ADU ROSH rule, and 295 of the 385 possible dates conform to one of the seven variations of LO ADU. Because of the variability of 30 Marcheshvan, the days of Kislev (1st thru 29th) can fall on any of 6 days of the week and have only one day each that they cannot fall on. First day of Chanuka, for example, can be Su, M. W. Th, F, Sh - not Tue
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The first Chanuka candle is Motza’Sh. The last time that happened was 20 years ago (1992/5753), following TT 31. (Before that? 5749 & 5746)