Hebrew | Francais

Shabbat Parashat Bechukotai | 5768

Bechukotai | 19 Iyar 5768 | 24/05/2008

A Change of Heart

In this week’s haftara, Yirmiya contrasts between two gevarim (men). “Blessed is the man who relies on Hashem and Hashem is his source of trust” (Yirmiya 17:7). “Cursed is the man who relies on a man and makes flesh his forearm and from Hashem does his heart stray” (ibid.:5).

Passing Over Tefillin to Put on the Shel Yad First

Question: Is it true that if one picks up his tefillin shel rosh before his shel yad that he should put the shel rosh on first? How does this affect the order of berachot?

Non-Jewish Ownership of Eretz Yisrael – part I

The mishna (D’mai 5:8) states that one can take ma’aser from a Jew’s produce to exempt a non-Jew’s produce or from a non-Jew’s produce to exempt a Jew’s. This indicates that the mishna understands that a non-Jew’s produce is chayav in terumot and ma’asrot on the Torah level.

The Termination of a Contractor’s Work Due to Mutual Complaints.

Case: The plaintiff (=pl) is a contractor hired by the defendant (=def) to renovate her house under a detailed contract with a payment schedule. After def became dissatisfied with pl’s work and halted payment, pl, after a warning, stopped working, prompting def to hire another contractor to finish the job in a manner that raised the total project cost. Pl demands payment for the value of his work, irrespective of the second contractor’s charges. Def says that since pl’s poor work forced the situation, he should be treated as one who backed out.

This edition of Hemdat Yamim is dedicated in loving memory of

Leiser Presser ben R'Aharon Yitzhak and Bracha

on the occasion of his yahrzeit, 24 Iyar,

and members of his family who perished in the shoah Al Kiddush Hashem as well as

R ' Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

Hemdat Yamim is endowed by Les & Ethel Sutker of Chicago, Illinois in loving memory of

Max and Mary Sutker

and Louis and Lillian Klein, z”l.

A weekly divrei Torah leaflet: A Glimpse at the Parasha, Ask the Rabbi, From the writings of Harav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l, Pninat Mishpat (Jewish Monetary Law).