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Shabbat Parashat Emor| 5770

Emor | 17 Iyar 5770 | 01/05/2010

Parashat Hashavuah: The Necessary Boundaries of Seeking Leadership

In the past, we have discussed the midrash (Vayikra Rabba 26) that links the first pasuk of Emor to the story of the massacre of Nov, the city of kohanim. Hashem showed Moshe the leaders of each and every generation, and Moshe was disturbed that Shaul, the first king of Israel, would be stabbed to death. Hashem’s answer was “emor el hakohanim” (say: for the kohanim): in other words, it was a result of Shaul’s command to kill out the city due to his understanding that they supported David in what Shaul saw as a budding revolt against his dynasty.

Ask the Rabbi: Process of Hagala

I have seen books that describe the process of hagala (putting a treif utensil into boiling water to remove the absorbed material) but have not seen a discussion as to how long one has to leave the utensil in. This seems strange especially in regard to treif material that was absorbed over a long period of time.

Ein Ayah: Awe and Fear of the King

When Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai became seriously ill, his students came to visit him. When he saw them, he began to cry. They asked him why he was crying, and he answered: “If they would take me before a human king who - today is alive and tomorrow will be in the grave, if he gets angry at me, his anger is not eternal and if he incarcerates me, the incarceration is not eternal, if he kills me, the death is not eternal, and I can appease him with words and bribe him with money - still I would be afraid...

P’ninat Mishpat: Loss of Principal on an Investment

The plaintiff (=pl) had the defendant (=def) handle an investment sum of $5,000 at his discretion, with pl maintaining the ability to follow the investment’s progress and withdraw the money at any time. They signed a contract that stipulated the conditions for distributing profits, which were said to be potentially up to 50% annually. It also stated that there was significant risk in such an investment, and def told pl that it was unwise to invest all of his money in this manner.

Hemdat HaDaf Hayomi: Be Killed and do not Transgress (74a)

This week in the Daf Hayomi, the Gemara deals with the question of what one should do when he is forced to choose between transgressing a prohibition and losing one's life. The Gemara (74a) states that for all prohibitions one should transgress and not be killed, with the exception of three prohibitions, which require him to be killed and not transgress. The three prohibitions are idolatry, forbidden sexual relationships (arayot), and murder.

Emor 5770

Emor 5770

Yom Yerushalayim Invitation

Dedicated in 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

This week’s Hemdat Yamim is dedicated in loving memory of
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).