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Kedoshim
Friday, April 25, 2014 / " "

Candle Lighting: 7:59 Havdala: 9:03

Note: The Halachic times listed here are from www.myzmanim.com.

Due to last weeks edition of Kol Hanearim, we will include Divrei Torah from Parashat Acharei Mot as well. Enjoy!

Motivation for Teshuva

By Ian Lorand, 9th Grade
When scanning through Acharei Mos for a possible topic for this Dvar Torah, I noticed that in the very first Passuk, Hashem explains the details of Yom Kippur and the prohibitions of the to Moshe. The Torah also states specifically that this happened after the death of Aharons two sons. By being mentioned together, there is most likely a connection between the two topics. The Talmud Yerushalmi in Yomas take on their connection is that just as atonement is brought from Yom Kippur, so is atonement brought by the death of the righteous (Aharons sons). Meshech Chochmah explains that Yom Kippur is an auspicious time for atonement because it is an , a time of favor. Its said that when righteous people such as Nadav and Avihu die and their souls ascend to , other virtuous souls rejoice at their coming. This joyous feeling in Heaven can help stir a spirit of atonement or forgiveness within the righteous souls survivors in the physical world. However, atonement for each of the two only come through one condition. For Yom Kippur, one must treat the day with proper respect and recognize it as holy in order to gain any atonement. Likewise, anyone who does not honor the righteous in life do not profit from their ascent to in death. Rashi on the other hand, instead of taking it as a connection between Yom Kippur and the

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deaths of Aharons sons, sees the deaths as a motivation for Aharon to not go into the because he may die. Rashi then gives us a parable from Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah to better understand it; a doctor sees his patient and tells him to not lie down in a cold, damp place. Another doctor visits him and instructs him to not lie down in a cold, damp place so that he will not die like so-and-so. Clearly, the second doctors advice motivated the patient more effectively than the first. So, the deaths of

" Aharons sons was a sort of warning to Aharon of going into the without notice. Humans have commonly defied authority, thinking they could get away with it. To better prevent this, society punishes the criminals to set an example to others of what is done to those who disobey authority. Nowadays, we should all strive to heed the warning successfully without having to have an extreme example of the consequence.

Meaningful Mitzvot
By Ziva Bibbins, 10 th Grade
This week, the Parashah opens up with Hashem telling Moshe, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: Ye shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy (19:2). This command to `be holy' is the opening of the Parashah because it includes all the other commandments in the parsha which follow it. This mitzvah commands us that when we do Hashems mitzvot they should not be like a burden or yoke upon us. We should not do a mitzvah with the desire to finish it as soon as possible. A person's desire to do mitzvot should come from the depths of the persons heart. It is possible that a person could be very precise and work very hard to do the mitzvot, yet one is actually far away from them. Despite ones hard work and efforts, it might be that the mitzvot are really a heavy burden upon them, and ones heart is really bound to material things and the affairs of this world. Therefore, the Torah commands us with this inclusive mitzvah to `be holy'. Although all the mitzvot raise and separate a person from the material, this function also depends somewhat upon the mentality of the person who is doing them. Therefore, we are commanded not to do the mitzvot because of compulsion. Rather, we should do them as acts deriving from our inner being, and we should completely identify with them. Shabbat Shalom!

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I am the Lord Your G-d

By Aviva Muskin, 12 th Grade
From a very young age, all Jewish day school students have been taught in Chumash class that the Torah never repeats anything for the sake of repeating it. Every single word of the Torah is there to teach us something; everything is there for a reason. However, repetition is a common occurrence in Parshat Kedoshim, where the same words appear at the end of nearly each sentence: Ani Hashem, I am your G-d. Why does the Torah need to stress this to us? Dont we already know that Hashem is our G-d? Following Pesach we are all familiar with who Hashem is. During these weeks leading up to Shavout and the giving of the Torah, we also know who the Law Giver is. He is the one that took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and gave us the Torah on Har Sinai. Why is it necessary to repeat this familiar concept again in the middle of Vayikra? Instead of a story, this Parashah lists commandments - many commandments. In fact, 51 of the 613 mitzvot are written in this single Parashah. Almost every stated commandment ends with the words Ani Hashem or Ani Hashem Elokechem. Why is it necessary to connect G-d to every commandment? Rashi (19:31) says that these words are repeated to remind us that Hashem is judging us when we follow Him and His mitzvot, or when we transgress and sin. This means that when it states I am Hashem, it is talking about the G-d of reward or punishment for fulfilling the commandments. Hashem will reward those who fulfill His laws, and punish those who do not. Rav Ovadia Sforno (19:10) suggests that these words recognize Hashem as a kind and truthful G-d, and therefore we should observe these mitzvot to follow in His ways. This is helpful to understand why these words are chosen to be stated with the list of mitzvot, but it does not answer the question of why these phrases are repeated. A Midrash states that the Ten Commandments, in essence, are listed in Kedoshim, although not the way they are presented in Shemot or Devarim. The same types of commandments are listed in this Parashah. The two sides of the luchot each have 5 dibrot, corresponding to mitzvot between man and G-d, and mitzvot between man and man. Parashat Kedoshim uses the two phrases Ani Hashem or Ani Hashem Elokechem to distinguish between these two types of mitzvot: Ani Hashem for mitzvot between man and man, and Ani Hashem Elokechem for mitzvot between man and G-d. For example, the commandment forbidding gossiping among others (19:16) is a mitzvah between man and man, and the words at the end of that Pasuk are Ani Hashem. However, the commandment of observing Shabbat (19:3) is a mitzvah between man and Gd, and the words at the end of that Pasuk are Ani Hashem Elokechem. The repetition of Ani Hashem and Ani Hashem Elokechem are important to distinguish between the commandments. Although it may seem obvious of the two types

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of mitzvot in the lists in Shemot or Devarim, it is not as clear in Parshat Kedoshim. Therefore, the Torah makes it clear by stating after almost every commandment that it belongs either on the right

" side (interaction between man and man) or left side (interaction between man and G-d) of the Luchot.

Achieving Kedusha (Holiness)

By Rabbi Binyamin Blau
There is a striking yet puzzling juxtaposition of ideas at the start of Parashat Kedoshim. The Parashah opens with the famous instruction that we should be holy in emulation of Hakadosh Baruch Hu who Himself is holy. This is a lofty goal that is both far reaching and a bit amorphous and is, understandably, the subject of much discussion among the commentaries. While the exact Mitzva is open to interpretation, it is undoubtedly clear that to be kadosh (holy) requires great dedication and that it is a noble task worth pursuing. In light of that fact, let us examine the mitzvot that are described immediately after the requirement of "kedoshim tihiyu". The very next pasuk tells of our obligation to properly respect our parents, followed by our need to keep the shabbat and then by the admonition to not worship idols and false gods. These themes are central to our belief system and are therefore appropriate issues to focus on as we begin our quest for kedusha. It is the ideas that come next that are perplexing as the Torah then instructs us not to leave over any parts of a korban (sacrifice), and it follows that rule by introducing the concept of pigul - which is the need for a person to have the correct thoughts when giving an offering. While these are mitzvot, which by definition makes them important, they seem drastically different in nature than the commandments that precede them. How then are they connected to our ambitious mission of achieving holiness? Perhaps the Torah is telling us two critical messages by juxtaposing these seemingly smaller in scope Mitzvot with those of a grander stature: The first point is that the details matter. There is a proper manner to offer a korban and therefore sections may not be left over - a seemingly minor concern in light of the amazing phenomenon that Hashem is accepting my physical offering - if one wishes to achieve kedusha. Holiness is not merely a glorious concept; it has real ramifications in the way that one acts and therefore even minor details gain greater significance. The second lesson is that we must be internally consistent. As critical as our deeds are, we must align our feelings and thoughts with our actions to really become holy. Ultimately we need to balance our observance of Mitzvot that reflect core ideals with those that are detail oriented if we wish to emulate our creator and achieve sanctity and kedusha.

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Shabbat Table Discussion Questions:

By Avi Hartstone, 10 t h Grade
Acharei Mot:
1. 2. 3. Why are the destinies of the goats of Yom Kippur decided through a lottery? (16:7) Why must the Azazel goat be led so far away? (16:22) Why must the Kohanim involved in the Yom Kippur Avodah go to the Mikvah? How did they become impure? (16:24) Why is Yom Kippur called a Shabbat? How are they similar? (16:31) Why are the laws of Gilui Arayot (Illicit Sexual Relations) placed right after halachot about the Mishkan? (18:1-23)

4. 5.

Kedoshim: 1. Why is the order of the Aseret HaDibrot changed in the beginning of the Parashah to: Honor your parents, Shabbat and then the prohibition against polytheism? (19:1-4) What is the difference between when it says I am Hashem and I am Hashem your God? Why is the Issur of revenge and holding grudges juxtaposed to Lashon Hara? (19:16-18) What is God trying to teach us with His ban on cross-breeding? (19:19) Why is there an abridged version of kashrut at the end of the Parashah? (20; 25)
next week's edition!

2. 3. 4. 5.

Email us at FMSshemesh@gmail.com with your answers or submit them on our website, fmsdvartorah.weebly.com, and you could be featured in

Answers to Parashat Metzora questions:

Q2: Why must one shave his hair in order to become pure? (14:9) A: Because shaving ones hair symbolizes a new start to life and the metzora after becoming pure gets a new start to life. (Yosef Coleman, 11th Grade)

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Q4: Why does the Torah have to repeat the entire purification process for the poor person? (14:21- 32) A: The torah repeats the process of the poor mans offering in order to not embaress the poor man for having less means. (Yosef Coleman, 11th Grade)

Brought to you by: Staff: Editors in Chief- Ari Bar-Shain and Zev Karasik Associate Editors- Eli Meyers, Etan Soclof, and Yosef Coleman Faculty Consultant-Rav Rick Schindelheim Distribution Manager-Rivka Coleman Faculty Manager-Yael Blau Head Writers-Avi Hartstone and Zak Fleischman Student Writers:
o o o o o o o o o o o o Alan Soclof Ami Shamir Amital Haas Aviva Muskin Ben Jaffe Bentzion Goldman Ian Lorand Ilan Senders Jenna Fox Jennifer Brenis Joey Frank Joey Senders o o o o o o o o o o o Lizzy Soclof Michael Brenis Miriam Pincus Mordechai Blau Sarah Pincus Seth Weiss Sonny Kugelman Talya Engelhart Yonah Bar-Shain Yonaton Shiller Zach Zlatin Ziva Bibbins

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