פרשת שמיני

Dvar Torah

Proper Respect

(ויקרא י:א-ב) וַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי־אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלֶיהָ קְטֹרֶת וַיַּקְרִיבוּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֵשׁ זָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם: וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי ה' וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי ה':

“Nadav and Avihu, each took his fire pan, they put fire in them…” “A fire came forth from before Hashem…” (Vayika 10: 1-2)

The Torah tells us, on the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), Aaron and his sons performed all their duties as Kohanim (Priests), but the heavenly fire did not come down.  Aaron felt rejected since it was he who made the golden calf.  Nadav and Avihu, two of Aarons sons thought that to bring their own fire would help bring the Divine Holiness to the Mishkan.  In the end, they were both killed by the fire of Hashem.

Rashi quotes the Talmud (Eruvin 63a) that teaches us; Rabbi Eliezer says the only reason that the sons of Aaron died was that they acted without first asking their teacher Moshe.

Is this such a terrible sin?  The Torah never tells us how one should treat their teachers, rather it is learned from the Mitzvah of how to treat parents.

We see from this story how important respect for teachers and parents really is.  Nadav and Avihu were both very holy people, yet they were punished for not consulting their teacher before acting even if they were right in their actions.

Often we may forget how much we need to show our parents and teachers respect.  Here are some quick Halachot to remember:

1)   Do not sit in their place

2)   Do not contradict their words

3)   Stand when they enter a room

4)   Always ask before acting

5)   Never interrupt while they are talking

6)   Do not answer for them

7) Call them by, and refer to them by their proper title

Let us remember this lesson and work on constantly improving our respect to our teachers and parents!

Shabbat Shalom!!!

Parsha Questions

1) The פרשה begins by telling us that it was the eighth day. What was it the eighth day of?

(רש"י ויקרא ט:א)

2) What was the date? (רש"י ויקרא ט:א)

3) רש"י tells us that there were 10 crowns on this date. What are they? (ויקרא ט:א עיין במעם לועז)

4) What קרבן did משה tell אהרן that he should take first? Explain. (רש"י ויקרא ט:ב)

5) After bringing the קרבנות, what blessing did אהרן give the people? (רש"י ויקרא ט:כב)

6) What did נדב and אביהוא do that was not part of the עבודה? (ויקרא י:א)

7) What happened to them? (ויקרא י:ב)

8) What was the reason for this being their punishment? Explain all parts. (רש"י ויקרא י:ב)

9) How did אהרן respond to hearing this news? (ויקרא י:ג)

10) Who buried them? Why do you think that they were asked to do this? (ויקרא י:ד)

11) Why do you think that ה' told אהרן directly that a כהן should not drink wine before doing the עבודה? (מפרשים) (ויקרא י:ח-יא)

12) What constitutes an eatable חיה (Kosher)? (ויקרא יא:א-ג)

13) What constitutes an eatable דג (Kosher)? (ויקרא יא:ט)

14) Why do you think that we are supposed to keep Kosher? (Based on your knowledge)

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Torah Math

Don't allow humility to prevent

you from accomplishing.

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

"And Moshe said to Aharon: go close to the altar." Rashi cites Toras Kohanim that Aharon was afraid to go close to the altar out of embarrassment. Moshe said to him, "Why are you embarrassed? For this reason, you were chosen." Rabbi Yitzchok of Volozhin explained: Aharon in his humility felt that he was unworthy to be the Kohain Gadol. This is exactly what makes you worthy of this position, replied Moshe.

The lesson from this is that while we need to be humble, never allow humility to stop us from our accomplishments.

TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:

We read Parshat Shemini 8 time on a year when Pesach begins on a Shabbat.

Question of the week:

What is the ONLY Mitzvah that can only be done sitting down???

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Rabbi Pepper’s Famous Homemade PIZZA

This recipe makes enough for two 16-inch pizzas to be cut into eight slices.

What you'll need:

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour, sifted

Sauce:

1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce

a dash of salt to taste

a dash of pepper to taste

a dash of onion powder to taste

a dash of oregano to taste

a dash of sugar to taste

Additional flour or cornmeal for rolling out the dough:

How to make it:

Dissolve the yeast in water in your processor or mixing bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and salt. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of flour. Add the rest of the flour, processing or stirring until the dough forms a ball. Turn out the dough onto a board dusted with flour or cornmeal, and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Divide it into equal round portions, and roll and gently stretch out. Press onto pans, cover with a dry towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 15 minutes. The crusts are then ready for toppings, or you can freeze them for up to a month.

Spread sauce. Sprinkle cheese. Add any desired toppings. Bake in preheated oven of 375 for 22 min.

Cut into eighths and serve.

To make stuffed crust simply fold over the 3 inches of the crust before baking.

Note: When eating pizza as a meal, the Bracha of Hamotzi is said.

פרשת צו

Dvar Torah

Respect others... Always

(ויקרא ו:ב) צַו אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ

“Command Aaron and his sons… this is the law of the Olah-offering” (6:2)

Hashem told Moshe to teach Aaron about the laws of the Olah-offering, which were brought every evening from public funds.  Rashi expresses concern with the word “command”; since it is a very demanding and strong term.  Rashi says, “Command” can only be understood as an expression of urgency (and caution)”.  Indeed, many things, can make a Korban not usable, but what could be so urgent about this offering?

Rashi quotes the Talmud in Tractate Kiddushin (29a) which says, Rabbi Shimon explains that the Pasuk is urging the Kohanim to be extremely careful, if the Korban becomes unacceptable, there might be a loss of money.

The question is obvious; is there nothing more important then the money spent?  The Torah does not urge the Kohanim to be so careful so not to make any mistakes on other things like the intricate and complex Halachot of slaughtering, cleaning, and checking of the internal organs, but when it comes to money we are getting an extra warning.

Rashi is pointing out a very important lesson in how we should treat Mitzvot.  In truth, there are many things to be so conscious of when bringing a Korban.   Rabbi Shimon explains that even when serving Hashem, we need to think about others.  When we are bringing a Korban for someone, we may find it easier to tell them that it is not usable instead of finding a way to help it remain OK.  Since this Kurban was brought with public money, one might tell themselves that it is OK if they make a mistake since the public has more money.  

This is not only true with Korbanot but also in every Mitzvah that we perform.  Sometimes we may get so involved in one Mitzvah that we don’t realize we might be bothering or insulting another person.  We need to be aware of what we are doing and how it’s affecting other people’s feelings.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1) The פרשה begins with an interesting change from its usual wording. What change is there?

(רש"י ויקרא ו:ב)

2) Why does the תורה change this word here? (רש"י ויקרא ו:ב)

3) Why should the כהן change his clothes when cleaning of the מזבח? (רש"י ויקרא ו:ד)

4) What should be on the מזבח always? (ויקרא ו:ה)

5) What is done with a קרבן שלמים? (ויקרא ז:יא-כז)

6) What is done to a person that eats from a קרבן שלמים? (ויקרא ז:כ)

7) What is פגול? (רש"י ויקרא ז:יח)

8) When did משה take אהרון and his sons for them to bring a קרבן חטת? (רש"י ויקרא ח:ב)

9) What did he take them for? (ויקרא ח:א-י)

10) Why did they need to bring a קרבות חטת? (רש"י ויקרא ח:ב)

11) Usually, when we find a שלשלת in the תורת, it implies that someone was hesitating. Why do you think that there is a שלשלת here? (מפרשים) (ויקרא ח:כג)

12) What happened on the שבעת ימי המילים? (ויקרא ח)

Torah Math

Korbanot (Sacrifices) and Prayers. The book of Vayikra is all about Korbanot - Sacrifices. Before we begin to learn all about them, let us take a moment to think about how they apply to us today.  The word "Korbanot" includes the word "Korov" (near or close); a sacrifice was a means of approaching Hashem, supplicating for Divine forgiveness or demonstrating appreciation for Divine assistance, and bringing oneself closer to Hashem. How do we achieve this today? Through prayer. Prayer  testifies to Hashem's mastery of the world, gives us an opportunity to thank Hashem and allows us to ask for Hashem's assistance.

TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:

The only Bracha only on a Wednesday or Thursday is Eruv Tavshilin.

Question of the week:

How is it possible to read the same portion of the Torah eight times in two weeks as a regular Torah reading?

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Seared Cake

INGREDIENTS

Strawberries

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of salt

Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 3/4 cups soymilk

4 tablespoons unsalted margarine, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss together the strawberries, honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt until evenly combined. Transfer to the baking sheet, along with the juices. Roast in the oven until slightly charred, about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, soymilk, melted margarine and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir with a spatula until just combined.

Lightly grease an 11-inch fry pan with cooking spray, then pour in the batter. Top with the roasted strawberries and about half of their liquid. Bake until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Serve with powdered sugar or fresh whipped cream.

פרשת ויקרא-זכור

Dvar Torah

Humility

(ויקרא א:א) וַיִּקְרָ^א אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר:

“And He called to Moshe…” (1:1)

 After the completion of the Mishkan, which was made to bring G-D’s divine presence to dwell amongst The Jewish nation, the people were awed and did not want to come close to the Mishkan.  Even Moshe, who was the holiest person, was afraid to enter the building. So Hashem personally called Moshe to enter the Mishkan.  The Rabbis teach us that Hashem was calling Moshe lovingly.  This is learned from the words of the Pasuk “And he called...”, the word “Vayikra - called” is written with an Alef.  The root of the word Vayikra is “Kara”, which means “call”.  We find this same word used when Hashem calls Bilam, a prophet of Hashem, to the other nations of the world.   Bilam was also the deceiver who tried to destroy the Jews with the power of speech.  When Hashem called him, the Torah tells us “Vayikar” which means “and he called”, only it’s written without an “Alef”. 

Why did Moshe not want to write that Alef?

When Hashem was telling Moshe exactly what to write word for word in the Torah, Moshe did not want to add the “Alef” in the Torah.  Moshe wished to state his being called by Hashem in the same manner as the one of Hashem calling Bilam.  Hashem insisted that the Alef be written; so Moshe wrote it small.

Moshe was the humblest person who ever lived.  He could not bring himself to show us that Hashem called him out of love; this was brazen of him.

We see from here the importance of being humble.  We don’t always need to make ourselves look the best.  With this in mind, we realize the importance of how we should act around other people.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1) Why is there a small א in the word ויקרא at the beginning of this ספר? (רש"י ויקרא א:א)

2) What double wording is there in פסוק א? Why? (רש"י ויקרא א:א)

3) From where did Hashem speaks to משה? (רש"י ויקרא א:א)

4) What is another name for ספר ויקרא? Why?

5) What is the meaning of the word קרבן?

6) What must an animal look like when it is being brought as a קרבן? (ויקרא א:ג)

7) What is the difference between מליקה and שחיטה? When is each used? (This question is not for Adele.)

8) What does a קרבן מנחה consist of? (ויקרא ב:א-ג)

9) What must be brought with every קרבן? (ויקרא ב:יג)

10) Why must this be brought with all קרבות? (רש"י ויקרא ב:יג)

11) What is done today to remember this?

12) What קרבן is קלוי באש? (רש"י ויקרא ב:יד)

13) When was this קרבן brought? (ויקרא כג:ט-יד)

14) If a person did a sin unintentionally, what type of קרבן should they bring? (ויקרא ד)

15) When was the קרבן תמיד brought?

Virtual Classroom Check-in!

Questions about what we are learning online!

1) Why are the Halachot of Etrog so different than the ones of Lulav, Hadasim, and Atavot?

2) What is wrong with using an Etrog of Maaser Sheni on Yerushalaim?

3) Why can an Etrog that is brown and spotted no be usable for the Mitzvah?

Click Here http://rpmishnah.blogspot.com/

 Torah Math

Korbanot (Sacrifices) and Prayers. The book of Vayikra is all about Korbanot - Sacrifices. Before we begin to learn all about them, let us take a moment to think about how they apply to us today.  The word "Korbanot" includes the word "Korov" (near or close); a sacrifice was a means of approaching Hashem, supplicating for Divine forgiveness or demonstrating appreciation for Divine assistance, and bringing oneself closer to Hashem. How do we achieve this today? Through prayer. Prayer  testifies to Hashem's mastery of the world, gives us an opportunity to thank Hashem and allows us to ask for Hashem's assistance.

TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:

The Brachot that are made once each year outside of Eretz Yisrael are:  (1) The Bracha on a tree in Nissan  (2) Lighting candles on Yom Kippor (3) Checking/burning of Chametz (4) Nachaim Yerushalayim on Tisha B’Av 

Question of the week:

What Bracha is only made on a Wednesday or Thursday?

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Passover Roasted Grown Sweet Potatoes

This pareve vegetable side dish is healthy, simple to make, special to serve, and complementary to any meat, poultry, fish or vegetarian main dish served for a Passover meal.

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

5 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks

1 red potato, scrubbed and cut into chunks

1 large red or white onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

2. In a bowl, toss the beets with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the beets out on a baking sheet lined with parchment baking paper. Begin baking the beets for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, and garlic in a large bowl. Pour this over them and mix well to incorporate.

4. Take the pan out of the oven and add in this mix. Continue baking it all for another 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are cooked through.

5. Serve warm, although if there are any leftovers, they serve great cold, too.