WHAT IS A KIDDUSH HASHEM?

Rabbi Dovid Eisenberg | Rabbi of the Prestwich Hebrew Congregation

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The concepts of Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Hashem’s name, and Chillul Hashem, profaning Hashem’s name are mentioned in this week’s parsha. The pasuk tells us, “You should not profane My holy Name and I should be sanctified amongst the Jewish people, for I am Hashem who makes you holy.” Indeed, for centuries the Jews have given up their lives to serve Hashem and in order not to profane His holy Name. Many people preferred to die with the words “Shema Yisrael” on their lips rather than giving up their religion thereby creating a Kiddush Hashem. The fact that Jews in the holocaust were willing to keep mitzvos even in the most dire of circumstances is also an example of glorifying Hashem.

The pasuk, however, tells us that we shouldn’t profane Hashem’s name and we should sanctify his name. What is the difference between not profaning Hashem’s holy name and sanctifying it? Are they not one and the same thing?

The answer is that they are very different. A person could make sure not to profane Hashem’s name but that is still far from sanctifying his name. For example, if a Jewish person is involved in a business transaction and does something illegal or doesn’t keep his word, then that is a Chillul Hashem. This person and his religion will be coupled together and people will say, “You see, we can’t trust those Jews. They

are always looking to cheat us and get the most out of us!” This applies even amongst Jews. If one Jew is seen as religious and does something wrong that brings religious Jews into a bad light that is also a Chillul Hashem.

On the other hand, if a Jewish person is honest and doesn’t cheat that still doesn’t make a Kiddush Hashem. There are many honest Jews and non-Jews out there and the fact that the Jew has been honest doesn’t make it a sanctification of Hashem’s name. If, however, the Jew keeps his word consistently and is seen to be of high moral character that could be a sanctification of Hashem’s name.

There is even one level above that. When a person has business dealings with another and his manner is always positive and he goes beyond the expected honesty and keeps the peace at all costs that is a real Kiddush Hashem. When people see someone who is markedly different in the way he acts and interacts with others, that will be seen as a sign of a sterling character and the connection between his religious belief and the way he acts will be made as well.

All of us have found ourselves in situations where we have been the lone representative of our faith and it was our behaviour that was going to be used as a measuring stick to figure out the morality of the entire Jewish people. It could be a phone conversation with someone who has never come into contact with Jews, it could be on a plane trip to an exotic destination where Jews are not the norm or any one of a myriad of other situations. In all of these situations we have to keep the concepts of Kiddush Hashem and Chillul Hashem in mind. Are we going to act in a way that makes other people look negatively on the Jewish nation as a whole or will we be a shining light that can be proud of the way we act? Hopefully we can stand up to the challenge.

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1. When else during the year do we read in the Torah from Parshas Emor?

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Towards the end of Emor (24:14), the Torah records the incident of a man, whose mothers name is mentioned. He blasphemes and is bought before Moshe to determine his fate. The Parshah then describes Hashem’s instructions to Moshe saying:

‘Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Remove

the blasphemer to the outside of the camp,

and all those who heard him shall place their

hands on his head: The entire assembly shall

stone him’

It is a fascinating episode on so many

levels. There are many questions to be asked.

Perhaps most notably, what is the significance

in the placing of the hands of the blasphemer’s

head by the judges and witnesses, prior to him

to being stoned.

Rashi in addressing this very question says

that in placing their hands on his head they tell

the blasphemer, so to speak, that your death is

completely your own doing, it has nothing to

do with us. It is on your head. You and you

alone were totally responsible for this.

The Maharal in Gur Aryeh, explains that

the placing of the hands of the witnesses

on the blasphemers head, is unique to the

punishment of the mekalel – the blasphemer.

The Maharal, quoting the Rambam, continues

to explain the difference between the decree of

death of a person who serves Avodah Zarah -

idol worship and one who blasphemes the

Name of Hashem. The blasphemer supersedes

all other transgressions, even that of Idol

worship on some level.

Yet the question is obvious: Why? Of all the

things one can transgress in the entire Torah

blaspheming is so terrible!? What has he done

that is so wrong? He is not denying G-d’s

existence per se. What is it about his crime

which necessitates this peculiar placing of the

hands on his head?

Indeed the Rishonim (11th-15th century)

including the Rambam, Ramban, Yaavets,

Rashbatz, Abarbanel and others discuss

precisely what the fundamental tenets of

the Jewish faith are. Yet according to any of

them, it surely requires something worse than

cursing Hashem to be considered a heretic?!

Let’s think for a moment what it may take for

someone curse, to blaspheme, to be a mekalel?

In short he is angry with G-d. Hashem is bad!

Hashem is mean, He’s out to get me! It’s the

greatest denial of everything! Yet the question

we posed earlier still stands: Which of the

fundamental principles is he breaking? The

answer is, is that it is a principle that precedes

all other principles.

Let us go back to the very beginning.

Avraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation,

famous for many things but certainly for

having brought Hashem’s name into the world.

His philosophical investigations are found in

the writing of chazal. The chumash however

makes no mention of them. So what does the

Torah say about him? He lived, ate, breathed

and taught chessed, kindness to others. His

fanaticism for kindness, was part of his very

essence. The fact that we are Jews is due to

Hashem choosing Avraham. He showed the

world the trait of chessed. The world was a

barbaric place, until Avraham

came along and said chessed-kindness is the

right way, because that is what Hashem is. He

is only good. He is only kind. He only wants to

give us what’s best for us. It’s the fundamental

principle of all fundamental principles.

Emunah without the belief that Hashem is

goodness and kindness personified is the

greatest denial of all principles.

And yet we struggle with this on a daily

basis. There is a natural resentment. Why

couldn’t Hashem create a world where you

get everything for doing nothing. Why all the

tests? Why make things forbidden and give us

desire to do them? Why so many challenges?

Why the financial pressures? Why is the world

so filled with challenge, pain, suffering? Why

so much evil? Why all the strings attached?

The message of the blasphemer couldn’t be

clearer. We have to understand that Hashem

only wants good for every single one of us. Yet

Hashem also created a system where we are

in charge for good and for bad. We need to

appreciate that Hashem is all good. There is

nothing like challenge. There is nothing better

than taking responsibility, nothing better than

being accountable, nothing more empowering

that overcoming those challenges. Yet get one

thing straight: Hashem only wants goodness

and kindness for all us all and before we

can truly live a meaningful life we need to

understand that at our very chore. No cursing

Hashem can even enter our minds if we

understand that. It is the key to living with

true simchas hachaim – a profoundly deep

sense of joy and happiness in everyday life no

matter what it throws at us. May we all merit

to achieve it.

??livingwithmitzvos.comQ

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limitations?

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Usfartem Lochem Mimochoras Hashabbos (23:15)

I remember exactly where I was standing when I was asked the question. I was under the Matterhorn in Swiss Alps, when a student who wasn’t that religious asked me – “What exactly is the omer?” I answered it was the countdown to Shavuos - when we receive the Torah. ‘Aha! No wonder you are in mourning!’ – he said to my astonishment. “Not exactly” was my response and we spent a long time chatting this through What exactly is the omer about? What is the counting about?

It really is confusing isn’t it. No haircuts, no weddings, no music. But at the same time anticipation for the great event – Matan Torah! What has one got to do with the other? Or is it just one big coincidence?

We all know that the omer is a time of aveilus, we feel it – in every area of our lives. However, historically it actually hasn’t always been this way! In fact, the Ramban here points out how actually these are days of anticipation and yemei simcha – in a chol hamoed – festive like fashion.

The Chasam Sofer therefore asks – why did Chazal choose to make this into a time of mourning? Surely the right time to mourn the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva, would have been at the time of the three weeks, or Tisha B’Av – this time just simply seems inappropriate, and confusing.

Perhaps we can suggest an explanation that sheds light on this confusion.

The Gemara in Yevamos 62b says that the reason why the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva died, is because they did not respect each other. The Maharsha on that point explains that the honour they did not give to each other was Kavod Hatorah – they didn’t give due respect to what each other represented – the Torah itself.

The Maharal adds – that giving Kavod Hatorah is the source of life itself, as the Gemara in Megillah 27b brings one of the Tannaim explain – bameh he’erachtah yamim

– what did I do to deserve to merit a

long life – because I gave respect ot my fellow scholars.

Why do we count? The entire idea of counting to an event is in anticipation of something which is a special event. It is giving kavod to the Torah - this is no small feat for us! The entire sefiras ha’omer – is an education of what it is that we are supposed to be feeling in anticipation of the kabbalas hatorah.

This is how the aveilus of the death of the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva is linked.

The consequence of lack of kavod hatorah resulted in death itself. Therefore Chazal remind us year on year that inherently as a part of the countdown what kavod hatorah means.

We are dealing with Torah, which we know is life itself. However what the aveilus is a reminder of – that the counting down to Shavuos, isn’t just another countdown, its how interdependent life is not only on Torah – but on kavod hatorah too.

As we prepare for the countdown to Shavuos, let us remind ourselves how important it is to show respect. Respect for one another, respect the Torah – Respect talmidei chachamim, because our lives themselves depend on it.

This is what the counting of the omer has always been about.

??livingwithmitzvos.comQ

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TIME 3. Why does the parsha of Moadim come at all in Sefer Vayikra that is focused on

the Kohanim and korbanos (as the main parsha that discusses the korbanos and the moadim is in Parshas Pinchos)?

Rabbi Sruli Guttentag | Whitefield Community Kollel and Federation ShailaText

ISRAELI AVOCADOS – WHAT DO I DO WITH THEM?

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Shemita has been and gone, but as any kashrus organization will tell you, the logistical complications involved with the Shemita year really last much longer than the year itself. Fresh vegetables come onto the market right after Rosh Hashanah and the last citrus fruits and avocados will still linger in our supermarkets in the coming weeks. Wines, drinks and canned foods are with us for much longer. So are Shemita fruits really treif as the common perception seems to be?

Holy not treif..לאכלה לכם הארץ שבת As the posuk in והיית

next week’s sedra teaches, the fruits of Shemita are ‘yours for eating’. The status is not one of prohibition, but, as the Sages taught us to understand, one of limitation.

Two key halochos were understood by the Sages to be taught in these words. The first is that Shemita fruits are to be eaten - they are ‘For eating’ - and not for trade’ (Avoda Zoro 62a). This means that one may not trade in – i.e. buy or sell

– Shemita produce.

Don’t buy themBuying Shemita fruits in UK supermarkets is

certainly problematic, and the religious consumer needs to be extra vigilant in the grocery department to avoid unintentionally purchasing these special fruits. Buying, considered to be an act of trading, is prohibited as it contravenes the hefker – ownerless status - of the fruits.

Waste notThe second limitation that applies to Shemita

fruit is found in the teaching of Chazal that it is to be used ‘For eating’ - and not to waste’ (Pesochim 52b). The holiness of the fruit dictates that it is only to be eaten by Jews in its ideal state (cooked or raw depending on the fruit), and prohibits us from actively destroying or wasting these fruits. Fruits which find their way to the kosher consumer’s home are subject to the same limitations as they would be in Eretz Yisroel. The housewife needs to take care not to use a fruit for a ‘non-ideal’ use. Cleaning a knife with a lemon, although not considered wasteful ‘bal taschis’, when using Shemita produce would be forbidden. Any edible food waste may not be

thrown into the bin – whether the regular bin or the food recycling one. Doing so is considered to be proactively destroying the Shemita holy fruit.

Do I need to keep it forever? No. As soon as the food is no longer edible it loses its kedusha status and may be discarded as normal.

Why did I always think Shemita means treif?Besides for the prohibition to buy it, the

common understanding of Shemita produce as not kosher has its roots in two primary Halachic points.

SfichinVegetables and grains are a category of their

own. In the Shemita year it is forbidden to work on the land. Chazal prohibited any vegetable or grain, that grew in a Jewish-owned field during the Shemita year, even if it grew unaided, without any one working on the field. This prohibition was enacted to avoid the deceptive tactics of unscrupulous individuals who had worked on the land and then had taken to claiming that seeds had ‘grown on their own’.

Vegetables reaching the UK during the Shemita seasons are suspected of being subject to this prohibition and as such many of us have become accustomed to treating Shemita produce as ‘treif’. Fruit, however, is not in the same category as vegetables, and was not included in this prohibition.

SHEMITA FRUIT - THE QUICK GUIDE1. Although vegetables may be bought (they aren’t Shemita anymore), trumos and maasros must be taken. (Instructions on this are available

from ShailaText on 07860 017 641, send a text with a request to receive an email, along with your email address).

2. Don’t buy avocado, mango or citrus fruit as these are still Shemita and purchasing is prohibited.

3. If bought by accident, check the list of dates to see if ‘biur’ time has arrived

4. If ‘zman biur’ has begun already, leave the fruit to rot (in a bag). Discard once inedible.

5. If not yet time for ‘biur’, eat at home without wasting anything. Any edible remains (citrus peels or remains on avocado stone) should be left to rot and may then be discarded.

6. Once ‘biur’ arrives you should do the mitzvah of biur if you have a significant amount (more than the amount you would eat in three meals)

7. Take them out of your house (to a shul, street etc) and tell three people you are making them hefker. Anyone - including you – can take them but have in mind not to assume ownership.

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4. Some people read from Parshas Emor every Shabbos – which part and why?

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ISRAELI AVOCADOS – WHAT DO I DO WITH THEM?

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The Mitzva of BiurAs the season progresses, the fields empty;

vineyards until recently laden with ripe grapes have been picked – some eaten by lucky fruit pickers, others have been harvested and stored under communal storage ‘Otzar Beis Din’ conditions. At some point the fields become empty.

לאכול תבואתה כל תהיה בארצך אשר ולחיה .ולבהמתך Chazal understood the instruction of this posuk to be that as long as the wild animal in the field has a ready supply of Shemita food, your domesticated animal (and you yourself) may eat from supplies gathered at home. Once, however the readily available hefker supply becomes depleted, the food left at home may not be eaten.

It can’t be eaten but what can one do with it? Mentioned many times in Shas is an instruction called ‘biur’ (literally destroy); but its exact application was the subject of a great debate. Some references imply an obligation to destroy; this, along with the simple meaning of the word

‘biur’ led Rambam to teach that fruits remaining at home would need to be destroyed.

Ramban (and Ashkenazic halacha) contended that ‘biur’ means removal from the house. We are instructed to remove the Shemita fruits from the house and declare in front of three non-household members that the fruit is ownerless. At this point, anyone can take possession of the fruits and eat them. Anyone… including the owner himself!

What happens if biur was not done on time?Although Ashkenazic halacha allows for

the fruit to be eaten after the mitzvah has been performed and it has been declared ownerless, if the time for biur passed and the fruit remained under Jewish ownership, the opportunity has been missed. Here, all agree that the fruit becomes forbidden. At this point the fruit indeed must be destroyed.

When does the Mitzva begin?As discussed, as long as there is a steady supply

of Shemita fruits, one can bring home and eat the fruits. Once no longer available, however, this is prohibited. Collaboration between Rabbinical authorities and agronomical experts has ensured

that members of the public are aware of a set of calendar dates at which point the mitzvah of ‘biur’ begins for each individual specie.

Many of these dates, however, are only estimates and for months a sofek – doubt - exists as to whether the time for the mitzva has arrived. This is in turn leads to a somewhat bizarre situation and a halachic predicament. True, if the mitzva would be performed on time, one would be allowed to bring the fruits home and take ownership over them. However, if the time has not arrived, taking the fruit home would present a serious problem. Once the zman biur would later arrive, the unsuspecting owner would find that the fruit sitting in his home had become forbidden; this despite his having already performed the mitzvah of biur, because he did it too early.

The solution, as offered by poskim, is to allow the fruits to retain their hefker status even after the mitzva has been performed. So, the fruits having been made hefker, may be eaten but one needs to be careful not to assume ownership of the fruits. The fruits can be brought home but make sure to intend not to take ownership.

Fruit bought from a supermarket… Produce owned by non-Jews at the time of biur

does not become forbidden. If biur is performed immediately after the purchase, then the fruit would be permissible. However, in today’s commercial environment, we know little about the supply of the fruits we buy. Fruits labelled ‘Produce of Israel’ may have reached non-Jewish ownership shortly after the ‘zman biur’ had already arrived, and so the fruits would already be prohibited and may not be consumed. It is for this reason that once the ‘biur’ date arrives, fruits inadvertently bought should be left to rot and may not be eaten.

Left far from the beauty of fields left empty by strong-willed shomrei Shemita, those who live in Chutz La’Aretz nevertheless have rare opportunities to fulfil the mitzva whose promised reward is so great. As we refrain from a normally kosher fruit in the shop, or once bought by accident, eat them carefully in accordance with halacha, we join in from a distance.

A special opportunity to connect with – שבת לד‘Hashem.

LIST OF ‘BIUR’ DATES

Wine, Grapes, Mango, Pomegranates, Dates and Figs Date passed

Tangarines, clementines etc 15 Iyar !!

Pomelo Rosh Chodesh Sivan

Orange 15 Sivan

Avocado, Grapefruit Rosh Chodesh Av

Lemon Rosh Chodesh Elul

Remember ... Don’t buy

Shmitta fruits

This list is for fruits bought inadvertently

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5. Why are the festivals known as “moadim”?

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SANCTIFYING HASHEM’S NAME מצות קידוש השם PA

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ושמרתם מצותי ועשיתם אותם ...... ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך

בני ישראל “ Be careful regarding My commandments and keep them … do not desecrate My holy Name; I must be sanctified among the Israelites.” 1

The second of these two verses is the primary source the obligation of Kiddush Hashem – the sanctification of God’s name. Its juxtaposition with the preceding verse suggests a causal link between Kiddush Hashem and proper observance of the mitzvot. Whilst this connection is undoubtedly true, it is not the only way to fulfil the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem.

The Rambam notes that if a Chacham speaks nicely to others, welcomes them with a smile, treats them with respect – even if this not reciprocated – and acts with the utmost integrity in all his affairs, whilst not compromising on his Torah learning and meticulous observance of the mitzvos, people will come to praise and appreciate him. Such a person thereby sanctifies Hashem’s Name.2

The converse also applies. If a Jew, especially a Chacham,

1 Vayikra 22: 31-322 Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah Ch 5

behaves in any way which attracts the disapproval of others or which could bring Judaism into disrepute – such behaviour would constitute a Chillul Hashem. A Chillul Hashem may also result when someone does an aveirah – l’hachis ie: a gratuitous infraction of the Torah which occurred, not as a result of that person succumbing to an impulse or desire for something forbidden, but merely done as an act of rebellion.3

Sometimes, Kiddush Hashem results from the redemptive power of Hashem or from His imposition of punishment. Thus, the Yechezkel HaNavi says “I will gather you from the lands wherein you have been dispersed and I will be sanctified through you in the eyes of the nations.” 4 Moshe and Aharon are punished for striking the rock to produce water for the people to drink, instead of speaking to it as instructed. God says: You did not work to instil faith in the Bnei Yisrael, to sanctify Me (להקדישני) in their presence, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given you.”5

Kiddush Hashem may also be achieved in extremis, by sacrificing one’s life for Judaism. Though Judaism is a life-affirming religion, where the saving of life overrides- for example - even shabbos prohibitions, this is not the case in relation to

3 See eg Sefer Hachinuch Mitzvah 2954 Yechezkel Ch 20: 415 Bemidbar 20: 12

the proscriptions against homicide, immorality or idolatry. Faced with coercion in such circumstances, one who is prepared to be killed, rather than transgress one of these three prohibitions, is said to have made a Kiddush Hashem. In a similar vein, the millions of Jews who were killed through centuries of persecution during the crusades, the pogroms and the holocaust are referred to as k’doshim.

Those who are sensitive to grammatical nuance, will spot an interesting asymmetry from a close reading of the key verse in Vayikra quoted above. As Rav Dr Meir Zvi Grozman notes, one would have expected the first clause: ...... ולא קדשי שם את Do not desecrate תחללו (active) My holy Name; to be followed by: ישראל בני בתוך אותי וקידשתם sanctify (active) Me among the Israelites. Instead the second clause is expressed with the passive (Niphal) form of the verb. His explanation of this unexpected change of mood is insightful. Rav Grozman suggests that, had the Torah used the active form:‘v’kidashtem osi’ – and you must sanctify Me – one might conclude, absurdly, that there is an imperative to contrive situations where one’s life must be put on the line in order to fulfil the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. This absurdity is avoided by the employment of the passive verb.6

6 Rav M Z Grosman ‘Al Parashat Hashevua’: Parashat Emor

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6. Why are all the names of the festivals mentioned with the exception of Shavuos?

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Have you ever wondered why some people are successful and some are not? The answer, in my opinion, lies in an event we will celebrate this coming week. If eight days of Pesach were not enough, this coming week we will commemorate Pesach Sheini. Why do we have a second Pesach and what is the significance of it to us?

The Torah (Bamidbar 9:1-9) tells us that a group of people were ineligible to bring the korban pesach because they were contaminated through a dead corpse. Yet, having an intense desire to participate in the great spiritual experience of offering the korban they came before Moshe. ‘Lamah nigara’ – ‘why should we lose out’, they appealed. After all, the reason they were impure was because they had been engaged in performing a mitzvah. The Gemara (Sukkah 25a) states two versions of how these people became impure. Either they had been carrying the coffin of Yoseph, or they had come across a meis mitzvah – an unattended corpse that the finder is commanded to bury. They therefore wanted another chance to offer the korban pesach.

What were they thinking? Imagine you’re not well on Sukkos and unable to sit in the sukkah so the next month on the 15th of Cheshvan you decide to sit in the sukkah. Does that make any sense?

Hashem gave us a mitzvah to perform on a certain day and when that day is over the mitzvah is also over. And all the more so with sacrifices, where one of the fundamental principles of korbanos is ‘avar yomo batel korbano’ – once the day passes the respective korban can no longer be offered. So why did they think they could offer up the korban pesach the following month? And moreover, Hashem accepts their appeal and issues another binding festival for future generations!

The lesson we are being taught here is the importance of stubbornness. Both Hashem Himself and Moshe call us – the Jews – a ‘stiff-necked people’. We definitely have a stubborn element to ourselves. But how do we use it? Do we use it to be stubborn not to forgive our peers or do we use it to be stubborn in the pursuit of a mitzvah. These people who appealed to Moshe were stubborn and would not accept not being able to participate in the opportunity of offering the korban. They would not take ‘No’ for an answer and ultimately they were rewarded for their tenacity. The normal course of the Torah is to give the commandments through Moshe, rather than on the initiative of others, but because of their persistence and sincere desire for a spiritual elevation, Hashem gave them the honour of bringing about this new commandment.

There is a curious statement of our Sages that many commentators have grappled with. ‘Anything that your host commands you to do, you shall do, apart from if he commands you to leave’. One would expect the contrary – if my host told me to leave I would make sure to

leave very quickly! R’ Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin zy’’a explains the ‘host’ here to refer to Hashem. All that Hashem tells you to do you should do. Unless He tells you to leave. If Hashem tells us that He doesn’t want our service anymore we must be persistent and determined and continue to serve Him.

And this idea may shed light on the fascinating narrative the Gemara (Chagigah 15a) tells us about Elisha Ben Avuyah more commonly known as ‘Acher’ – the ‘Other One’. A Heavenly voice descended and announced that everyone can repent apart from Acher. Acher saw that he longer had a share in the world to come and therefore had nothing to loose by indulging in the pleasures of this world. Acher’s mistake, argues R’ Tzadok, was to give up and not continue to persist serving Hashem.

It is not coincidental that Pesach Sheini also marks the yahrtzeit of R’ Meir Ba’al Haness. When we pray for a salvation, we invoke Hashem to accept our prayers in the merit of R’ Meir. R’ Meir leaving us on Pesach Sheini may be due to his persisting and tenacious character which he utilised for serving Hashem. When we pray to Hashem we pray in the merit of R’ Meir to remind us that although this may not be the first or last time we will be praying the same prayer, we nonetheless persist in praying.

When we want success in life – be it success in material or spiritual matters

– we should ponder on this lesson. If we persist and are determined in all our endeavors then we can truly hope for great achievements and accomplishments.

JUST ONE DROP

Please could you ensure that there are ample sheets left in shuls for Shabbos before taking one home -as there have been few left in shuls.

This newsletter contains Divrei Torah and may contain Sheimos - please dispose of accordingly.

Rabbi Adam Edwards | Director of Educational Development LAG B

’OMER

We are all familiar with the story of Rabbi Akiva. He was forty years old and decided he wanted to study Torah. One day as he was walking through a field, he witnessed the miracle of the hole in the rock and he reasoned that if soft water can penetrate hard rock, certainly Torah which is fire could penetrate his mind.

What was the lesson of the rock? If Rabbi Akiva was to derive that Torah should be studied a drop at a time, surely that would frustrate him all the more. How could he learn little by little when half his life had already passed? A more appropriate lesson would have been to witness a waterfall crush a rock from which he would learn that an enormous quantity of Torah even at a late stage would crush the barriers of his mind.

Perhaps the lesson from this was a different one. Our obligation is a drop, even where it seems that the drop is for naught. Let the drop fall and somehow a breakthrough will take place.

Following this epiphany, Rabbi Akiva’s whole life changed and he became the most sought after teacher in Eretz Yisrael, attracting over twenty thousand students. All from one drop.

But then his magnificent life turned around. The 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva died. Rabbi Akiva’s entire wealth, all that he had given his life for had perished. The Talmud tells us that the closest relationship in the world is that of a Rebbe and a student. Imagine the grief, the despair. Who could survive the witnessing of such a tragedy? They all died in a very short time between Pesach and Shavuos. The plague lasted thirty-three days and on the thirty third day they stopped dying. The world was desolate.

Rabbi Akiva decided however that he should train more students. So he went to the south of Eretz Yisrael and began training

five new students. These students were; Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Nechemia.

Rabbi Akiva at this time was over 100 years old. He just sustained the worst blow a person can endure. Great credit would have been due to Rabbi Akiva if all that would have happened was that he ‘just’ didn’t lose his faith. We would recommend therapy for PTS or at the very least retirement. But behold Rabbi Akiva doesn’t take the day off. He runs to the South of Eretz Yisrael to begin again. What good will it do? Five in the face of 24,000 lost.

Where did he get the strength? The answer is he remembered the miracle of the stone. One drop more and Klal Yisrael will continue.

Today we learn Torah from the Talmudic writings handed down to us. Mishna, Sifra, Sifri, Tosefta and Seder Olam. The Gemara ( Sanhedrin 86) tells us that unless named otherwise an unnamed Mishna is Rabbi Meir, Sifra is Rabbi Yehuda, Sifri is Rabbi Shimon, Tosefta is Rabbi Nechemia and Seder Olam is Rabbi Yose.

Thus it becomes clear that on Lag B’Omer because of the heroic perseverance of one man, we are still here to tell the story. The true celebration therefore of Lag B’Omer is the celebration of the ability of man to find new strength to continue before even stepping out from the ashes.

A similar phenomenon happened with many of the Torah luminaries who escaped from the Nazis yms”h and came to America and Eretz Yisrael in the thirties and forties. They had just experienced tragedies afflicting their families and friends, their teachers and pupils. Many people in such a situation would have taken time off to recover, lost their focus or perhaps given up. But these people, realizing the importance to Klal Yisrael of founding or transplanting yeshivas in America or Eretz Yisrael, ignored their personal grief, and plunged into this work.

Hashem oz lamo yitein. G-d gives his people strength.

This is why we exist as a people.

1. Since Parshas Emor discusses in depth the festivals it is also read on Pesach and Sukkos.

2. A large part of Parshas Emor deals with Kohanim. These are the

“elite” of Klal Yisroel. The greater a person is, the more is expected of them. A leader is chosen because he has qualities above the average person. He is given new higher levels of standards with additional bonuses but his movements are restricted from where he can go and exactly what he can do. The same is true of the Kohanim.

3. R’ Shimshon Refoel Hirsch explains the theme of Sefer Vayikra and how the moadim comes in. The sefer deals with all aspects of kedusha. Until Parshas Emor it deals with kedusha of makom, space and place. With the parsha of the moadim it now follows on with discussing the kedusha of zman, time. The festivals are holier than weekday. The Ramban (23:2) answers that the festivals are mentioned here since these are days of special korbonos.

4. The parsha that discusses the Lechem HaPonim, showbread, since this was taken out each Shabbos and distributed to the Kohanim.

5. The word “moadim” is related to the word “vaad” that means “an appointed time” when the Jewish people achieve extra closeness with Hashem, by the festivals as we remember the great miracles Hashem performed for the Jewish People.

6. Each festival stands by itself as a special time. However, Shavuos is linked to the korban omer and is the fiftieth day from it and therefore is not named by itself. (Rabbeinu Bachaye)

ANSWERS