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Shabbat Parashat Shemot| 5771

Shemot | 19 Tevet 5771 | 25/12/2010

Parashat Hashavuah: Why Not Clarify What It Means?

The background behind Moshe’s birth is written in a very unclear manner: “A man from the house of Levi went and took the daughter of Levi as a wife” (Shemot 2:1). Why not spell out the identity of the bride and groom? The names actually appear in next week’s parasha, and the story behind the mystery appears in the gemara (Sota 12a). Amram, one of the generation’s leaders, decided to divorce his wife because having children, many of whom (specifically, the males) were killed, was too painful.

Ask the Rabbi: Payment for Deficiencies in Handling Items One Ships for a Friend

The Cohens were making aliya from the US. In order to make it more financially feasible to send a lift in a large container (where one saves money if he can come close to filling it) which they could not fill with their own items, they decided to rent space to acquaintances. The Levis (also olim) were among those who accepted the offer and ended up paying $1,500 (out of a total of app. $10,000) for their things. They were told that in the professional packing process, their items (especially breakables) would take up much more room than one would expect...

Ein Ayah: The Basis of Berachot

“How does one make a beracha (blessing) on a fruit?” … From where do we know these words [that there are berachot]? As the baraita says: The pasuk, “holy of praisings to Hashem” (Vayikra 19:24) – this teaches us that they need berachot before and after [eating them]. From here, Rabbi Akiva derived that it is prohibited for one to eat before he blesses.

P’ninat Mishpat: A Political Party’s Obligation to Abide by a Questionable Addendum

Three political parties (=def) that ran together in an election signed an agreement with a group of voters. The agreement mentioned that there was to be a binding addendum. The agreement and a handwritten, unsigned addendum were given over to neutral parties by pl and def to hold. The neutral party gave the addendum to a member of the voters’ group to photocopy, and the latter returned copies. In the addendum, it says that a certain member of the voters’ group (=pl) would be appointed to a certain local position. ...

Shemot

Shemot

This edition of
Hemdat Yamim

is dedicated
to the memory of
R' Meir
ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

Hemdat Yamim is

dedicated in memory of

Rivka Rozenhak bat

Yoseph and Leah Hirsch z”l

Passed away on

Tevet 3^rd 5771

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).

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