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Volume I, Issue 41
PARSHA INSIGHTS "This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon the children of Israel for all their sins once a year; And he (Aharon) did as Hashem commanded Moshe" (Acharei Mos 16, 34).On the second part of this verse - "And he (Aharon) did as Hashem commanded Moshe" - Rashi states, "When Yom Kippur arrived, he performed (the services) in this order, and this is to declare the praise of Aharon for he did not wear them for his own greatness but as one who fulfills the decree of the King." Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt'l observes that the garments worn by the Kohen Godol on Yom Kippur are not ornate, gold vestments, rather they are simple, white clothing which do not cloak a person in splendor and magnificence. Why, asks Rabbi Schwab, is Aharon praised for not wearing them for his own greatness, if these clothes do not posses any qualities of grandeur? Even if one may argue that some sages (Yoma 34b) maintain that these priestly garments are valuable, it is still a fact that white garments alone are plain and do not indicate greatness of the wearer. It is well known and understood that proof of a person's greatness is determined by his humble character. However, Rabbi Schwab says, that if one openly and willingly displays the trait of humility for all to observe and see, in reality he is acting in a "show off" manner. It is possible for a person to wear a simple garment in order to signify "humility", with the intent of utilizing humility to display his greatness. Rashi is teaching us that Aharon did not wear these white garments on Yom Kippur in order to be lauded for his humility but simply because it was a command of Hashem, and therefore, he is praised.
"Every man: Your mother and father shall you revere and My Sabbaths shall you observe - I am Hashem your G-d" (Kedoshim 19, 3). The Torah connects the ideas of fearing one's parents and keeping Shabbos in the above verse. Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky zt'l inquires as to the relationship between these two concepts. Rabbi Kamenetzky explains that other nations and the Jewish heretics believe that the world has always existed and was not created by the Creator. They also believe that man, over the course of many centuries, evolved from a lowly animal into a human being. They, therefore, conclude that each generation, which is farther removed from the animal origins, is more important and significant than its predecessors. The result of this erroneous belief dictates that the older generation should honor and respect the younger generation, since the younger people are even further removed from their animalistic source. The Jewish people, however, believe that Hashem created the world and man. This, therefore, means that every new generation is farther removed from creation and is more distant from the divine influence and greatness of Hashem. Consequently, the Jewish people exhibit the utmost in respect and reverence to their elders, since our elders are a generation closer attached to Hashem's work of creation. We can now understand the reason why the Torah writes the command of honoring parents in conjunction with the mitzvah of Shabbos. Since respect for elders is borne out of the fact that elders are closer to the creation of the world than the generation following it, when the Torah commands "Your mother and father shall you revere", the Torah immediately follows with the mitzvah which symbolizes that Hashem created the world - Shabbos. The review of the concept of Shabbos, which states that Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, signifies that He is the Creator. Rabbi Kamenetzky adds that Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman zt'l used to say, "If Charles Darwin would have had the privilege of seeing the Chofetz Chaim, he would never have believed that man came from monkeys. Since Darwin only saw people who acted like animals, it makes sense that he understood that people evolved from monkeys."
TABLE TALK THE DILEMMA Is it permissible for Boruch to join the AAA by phone and then use their service for towing, even though the problem with the car occurred before he became a member? Would your answer differ if Boruch was planning to join AAA even before his car needed to be towed?
(Consult your Rav for a proper halachic ruling) WHO AM I?
1. I am on the cutting edge.
(Please send us your answer by e-mail to gkrainess@adelphia.net. The answer will appear in next week's issue) Last week's clues and answer: I am makeup but not just for women; It's now or never; No cleaning necessary - just cleanliness; It's like dejavu all over again but different - Pesach Sheini Congratulations to Yehuda Bechor, Eli Fink, Mrs. Shani Hefter, Aliza Krainess, Eric Mack and the Solomon Brothers.
HOW "VERSE"ATILE ARE YOU?
A. "Now I know (through) this that you a re a man of G-d, and that the word of Hashem in your mouth is true." (Please send your answer to gkrainess@adelphia.net. The answer will appear in next week's issue) Last week's verses and answer: A. "If I have now found favor in Your eyes, then perform a sign for me that it is You Who speaks with me."; B. "Take the young bull that belongs to your father and the second bull, which is seven years old, and break apart the altar of the Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asheira-tree that is near it."; C. "My Lord, Hashem/Elokim: Whereby shall I know that I am to inherit it?"; D. "A flame went up from the rock and consumed the meat and matzos." Answer: C - Lech Lecha 15, 8. A,B,D Shoftim 6 (The story of Gidon). Congratulations to Yeshaya, Tzvi Menachem and Gavriel Hefter and Ben-Tziyon Krainess
TORAH RIDDLE Is it possible for a person to be called up to the Torah for an aliyah and not be permitted to read along with the ba'al korei? (Please send us your answer by e-mail to gkrainess@adelphia.net. The answer will appear in next week's issue) Last week's question and answer: If a person does not forget to count sefiras ha'omer, is it possible for him to be prohibited to recite a brocha? 1) If right before nightfall, for instance on Wednesday, one crosses over the international dateline, it will then immediately be Thursday, so he will only be able to count the sefira without a brocha 2) An onein could count without a brocha. 3) If a person stated the day of the omer before making the brocha. Congratulations to Mrs. Shani Hefter THE KOLLEL FAMILY MAZEL TOV Mr. and Mrs. Benji Katz on the birth of a daughter Rabbi and Mrs. Pinchas Klahr on the engagement of their daughter REFUAH SHELEIMA Mr. Merv Mendelsohn WELCOME Mr. and Mrs. Yehoshua Roth Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid Zomber CONDOLENCES Mr. Shimon Fuchs and family on the loss of his wife and their mother Mr. Boris Mikhli on the loss of his sister COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD The summer zman has commenced, and anyone interested in establishing a chavrusa or attending a shiur please contact the Kollel at 381-9175 or the office at 360-9153.Schedule:
(Please inform us if you wish to have a happy or solemn occasion or a community or personal event posted on the Community Bulletin Board - Thank you.) To sponsor an issue of Oneg Shabbos, please contact Leib Chaim Krainess, Director of
Kollel Development at (216) 559-0638 or gkrainess@adelphia.net. IN MEMORY OF
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