Halacha Newsletter by Rabbi Yosef Shusterman

Rabbi Yosef Shusterman of Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills published the following Halacha Newsletter which covers the Halachos of Pesach and the days they are specific too.

It’s available in PDF format which you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available fore free from Adobes website Acrobat.com.

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Demystifying the Mitzvah of Mechiras Chometz

The weeks preceding Pesach are very hectic throughout the Jewish community. It is the time when many people clean their homes from top to bottom in an effort to remove every trace of chometz (leavened bread). In addition, it is common practice to give a rabbi power of attorney to sell our chometz to a non-Jew. This practice has become a standard in all Jewish communities, in both the private and the public sectors.

Pesach 5737 (1977) by Rabbi Michoel A. Seligson

The Rebbe had a custom on the first night of Pesach of visiting the sedorim of the various mosdos; the Yeshiva kitchen at 1414 President St., FREE, Machon Chana and at times Hadar Hatorah. The Rebbe would come in to see how everyone was ready for the seder with their Kaara (Seder plate). This custom went for many years.

In 5737 (1977) when visiting Machon Chana, the Rebbe asked who would be conducting the seder for the girls. The Rebbe was told that it would be Rabbi Moshe Feller (head shliach of the upper Midwest in MN). The Rebbe then asked who would be asking the four kashes. When the Rebbe was told that it would be (the then young boy) Mendel Feller (today Rabbi Feller, Shliach in MN), the Rebbe turned to the child and pointing to his father Rabbi Moshe Feller, asked “Does he know the answers”? Everyone in the room laughed, perceiving the Rebbe’s comment as a humorous one. The Rebbe gave his blessing and left.

Pesach – Freedom Of The Soul

More than 3,000 years ago the Hebrew people were freed from Egyptian bondage by the mighty hand of G-d. The event served as the corner stone and birth of the Jewish nation and religion.

Throughout history Jews have observed G-d’s command to commemorate this event with the celebration of Passover. What is the message however, of this important holiday?

Our sages tell us, and we recite it every Passover in the Haggadah, “In every generation one must view him-self as though he him-self has gone out of Egypt”. The Hebrew word for Egypt is “Mitzrayim” which means “constraints”.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Tzav – Shabbos Hagadol

The Rebbe says:

1. Our Sages tell us that the Shabbos before Pesach is called “Shabbos Hagadol – The Great Shabbos”.

Almost every year we read the Torah portion of Tzav on the Shabbos before Pesach, on “Shabbos Hagadol”.

The Shelah Hakodesh (lit. The Holy Shelah, Rabbi Yishaya Halevi Howrowitz) says that that every Torah portion which we read on Shabbos has a connection to the time of year in which we read it. In our case this would mean that the portion of Tzav has a connection to Shabbos Hagadol – The Great Shabbos”.

The Weekly Sedra – Parashas Vayikra – Self-Sacrifice / It Doesn’t Really Kill

On a freezing winter night as Napoleon lie under his warm covers, he was overcome by a sudden bout of thirst. Considering that in order to satisfy his craving he would have to leave his cozy conditions and go outside to fetch some water, he contemplated ignoring his nagging discomfort, but was quickly overcome by a powerful sense of shame.
“Napoleon! You have become all but lazy,” he said to himself. “There is, evidently, no difference between you and the common yokel.” With that, he tore himself out of bed and proceeded out the door to fetch himself some water.
By the time he walked across the field, where the fresh water was stored, he thought to himself: “Bonaparte, you really ought to be embarrassed of yourself. You are so weak you’d do anything to avoid a little discomfort. Have you no willpower to prevail over a tad of thirst? There is obviously no difference between you and the ordinary Joe.” He immediately retuned to bed without touching a drop of water.
Upon relating this story, the Chasidic master of Lublin, (The Chozeh) concluded: “This is what I call strength of character.”

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayikra

1. This week we begin a new Chumash (book) in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) named Vayikra (Leviticus). Chumash Vayikra mainly deals with the sacrifices that the Jewish people brought to Hashem in the Holy Temple and it goes through the work of the Kohanim (the priests).

2. In the beginning of this week’s Torah portion Hashem says “Adam Ki Yakriv Mikem Korban Lashem Min Habihayma Min Habokor Oo’min hatzon… – When a man will bring an offering from (among) you as a sacrifice to Hashem, from the cattle, from the herd or from the flock…” (Leviticus, Chapter 1, Verse 2).

The Weekly Sedra – Parashas Vayakheil-Pekudei – Priorities! Priorities!

A story is told of a nobleman who was traveling through the forest when he noticed a large number of trees that had been used for target practice. To his amazement, every arrow was nestled perfectly in the bull’s-eye.

He could not help but marvel over the perfect marksmanship. “Who might possess such extraordinary talent,” he mused?

As he stood there marveling, he beheld a young man off in the distance shooting arrows. He immediately ran towards the boy. “Are you the sharpshooter who has landed all those bull’s-eyes?” he asked. “That is correct sir,” replied the young fellow with a sheepish grin. “You are an awfully talented individual. Where have you acquired such remarkable skill?” “To be honest,” said the lad, “I have developed my own foolproof technique.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayakhel Pekudei

The Rebbe says:

1. This year the Parshas (Torah portions) of Vayakhel and Pekudei are read together on one Shabbos.

2. We know that generally the name of something hints at what the thing is all about. This is especially so with regards to the name of a Parshah (Torah portion) because everything in the Torah is perfectly exact.

Let us examine our two portions of this Shabbos and see if their names fit with their content:

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Ki Sisa

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) to tell the Jewish people that they should atone for sinning horribly with the golden calf (see Chapter 32, Verses 1 through 6 which deals with the sin). Hashem tells the Jewish people that they can atone by giving a Ma’cha’tzis Hashekel (a half of a coin called a “shekel”) to the Mishkan (the Tabernacle).

The sage Rebbi Meir tells us that when Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that the Jews can atone by giving a half of a shekel Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand. To help Moshe Rabbeinu understand, Hashem took out a coin of fire from under His throne of honor (His Kisay Hakovod) and showed it to Moshe Rabbeinu. (See Jerusalemite Talmud, Tractate Shekalim, Chapter 1, Halachah 4).

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Ki Sisa – Do Jews Have Horns?

In the Torah portion that we read this Shabbos, Parshas Ki Sisa, the Torah relates that when Moshe came down from Mount Sinai with the second set of Tablets, the skin of his face was radiant. When Aaron and the people of Israel saw that his face was shining with a brilliant light, they were afraid to approach him.

Moshe summoned them and related to them everything that G-d had relayed to him on Mount Sinai. When Moshe finished speaking with them, he placed a mask upon his face.

The Torah further relates that whenever Moshe came before G-d to speak with Him, he would remove the mask. He would then go out and convey all that he had been instructed to the people of Israel. Moshe would then replace the mask upon is face until he would come to speak with G-d once again.

A Sichah for Purim

The Rebbe says:

1. The Megillah (the scroll which we read the “Book of Esther” from) describes the wicked haman as “haman the agagite”. Agag was a King of the amelekites and the wicked haman descended from this King.

Question: Why is the wicked haman described as “haman the agagite”, and what does this have to do with Purim?

2. The Rebbe now builds the foundation for the explanation:

The Haftorah (a text selected from “The Prophets” which is read on Shabbat after the Torah reading) which we always read on the Shabbos before Purim tells us the story of king agag:

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Tetzaveh

The Rebbe says:

1. At the conclusion of this week’s Torah portion, the Torah tells us about the Mizbe’ach Ha’za’hav (the Altar covered in gold).

2. Our Sages tell us that the Altar covered in gold, and the Altar covered in copper which the Torah told us about in last week’s Torah portion, cannot become impure (Tamei) no matter what touches it.

There are 2 reasons given as to why the Altars cannot become impure:

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Terumah

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem tells the Yidin (Jewish people) to make a dwelling place for Him; the Jewish people are to take 13 different types of supplies and donate them to the Tabernacle (Mishkan). Hashem then promises the Yidin that He will rest in the Tabernacle that they will make for Him (Chapter 25, Verse 8).

Hashem was saying that even though the Tabernacle would be very limited to an exact size and specific materials, He would rest there. Even though the Tabernacle would go with the Yidin on their journeys throughout the desert and be moved from place to place, Hashem promises to rest there.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Terumah – To Give Or To Get?

Irving and Seymour were good friends. They enjoyed their retirement years fishing and boating together. One day as the two were out on the water, a storm blew in out of nowhere. Before they knew it, they were in the water gazing at their capsized boat.

Irving, who was a good swimmer, knew that his friend could not swim. He immediately spotted him and tried to help. But it was to no avail. As much as he begged Seymour to give him his hand, he would ignore him. He, in fact turned away defiantly.

When Irving finally returned to shore without Seymour, he found himself standing face to face with Seymour wife who demanded an explanation.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Mishpatim – Church and State

The highlight of last week’s Torah portion was the Ten Commandments. Our portion – Mishpatim – opens with the statement: And these are the ordinances.”

Rashi comments that the juxtaposition of this portion- which deals primarily with civil and tort law – and the Ten Commandments discussed last week, teaches us that just as the holy Ten Commandments originated at Sinai and are thus imbued with G-dly meaning, so too the seemingly mundane civil laws discussed in this week’s portion are from Sinai and possess the same spiritual and G-dly eminence.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Mishpatim

The Rebbe says:

1. A big part of this week’s Torah portion discusses judgments/laws that Hashem laid down for us. One of the laws is about lending a poor person interest-free money:

The Torah says “Eem Kesef Talveh Es Ami, Es Heh’ani Ee’mach, Lo See’he’yey loy K’no’sheh, Lo S’see’moon Alav Neshech – If you will lend money to My people, to the poor person who is with you, do not act towards him as a creditor, do not place interest upon him” (Chapter 22, Verse 24).