CONTENTSParsha Questions & AnswersTorah QuestionsDaily Dose of the RebbeRefined SilverDeath of Nadav & AvihuPlease Tell Me What the Rebbe SaysMedrash Maven – Oy Vay YayehiIs it Kosher?Sedra SelectionsStinaks Marinus18th Century GedolimParsha WordsearchWhen Pigs FlyThe Weekly Haftorah

בס"ד נר לאפרים

Interesting items from around the Web

Shemini שמיניParsha Questions (from ohr.edu)1. What date was “yom hashmini”?2. Which of Aharon’s korbanos atoned for the golden calf?3. What korbanos did Aharon offer for the Jewish People?4. What was unique about the chatas offered during the induction of the

Mishkan?5. When did Aharon bless the people with the birkas kohanim?6. Why did Moshe go into the Ohel Mo’ed with Aharon?7. Why did Nadav and Avihu die?8. Aharon quietly accepted his sons’ death. What reward did he receive for this?9. What prohibitions apply to a person who is intoxicated?10. Name the three chatas goat offerings that were sacrificed on the day of the

inauguration of the Mishkan.11. Which he-goat chatas did Aharon burn completely and why?12. Why did Moshe direct his harsh words at Aharon’s sons?13. Moshe was upset that Aharon and his sons did not eat the chatas. Why?14. Why did Hashem choose Moshe, Aharon, Elazar, and Isamar as His

messengers to tell the Jewish People the laws of kashrus?15. What are the signs of a kosher land animal?16. How many non-kosher animals display only one sign of kashrus? What are

they?17. If a fish sheds its fins and scales when out of the water, is it kosher?18. Why is a stork called chasida in Hebrew?19. The chagav is a kosher insect. Why don’t we eat it?20. What requirements must be met in order for water to maintain its status of purity?

a) Which word has the highest gematriah in the Torah? (Its five letters total 1500).

b) The shortest word of the Torah has one letter. Where is it?

1. My purposes lies within and without2. I hold “sacrifices” but I am not an altar3. I have symbolism over substance4. I am taken for interrogation

A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the RebbeInside Workers -------------- When you look at a human being, you see his hands working, his feet walking, his mouth talking. You don't

see his heart, his brain, his lungs and kidneys. They work quietly, inside. But they are the essential organs of life.

The world, too, has hands and feet -- those who are making the news and effecting change. The heart, the inner organs, they are those who work quietly from the inside, those unnoticed; Those who do a simple act of kindness without knowing its reward.

Thanks for contributing to the Parsha Fun page: www.ohr.edu; The Kosher Net; למה מדוע היכן וכמה; Torah Tidbits; L’chaim Weekly; Eishes Chayil Newsletter; Aram Soba Foundation; ShemaYisrael.com; Aish.edu; TorahTots.com; ParshaPages.com

Torah Quiz

WHO AM I?

Answers:a) Tistarer (Bemidbar 16:13). b) The letter "hay" at the beginning of Devarim 32:6

A Seder Plate

Parsha Questions (from ohr.edu)1. 9:1 - First of Nissan.2. 9:2 - The calf offered as a korban chatat.3. 9:3,4 - A he-goat as a chatat, a calf and a lamb for an olah, an ox and a ram for shelamim,

and a mincha.4. 9:11 - It's the only example of a chatat offered on the courtyard mizbe'ach that was burned.5. 9:22 - When he finished offering the korbanot, before descending from the mizbe'ach.6. 9:23 - For one of two reasons: Either to teach Aharon about the service of the incense, or to

pray for the Shechina to dwell with Israel.7. 10:2 - Rashi offers two reasons: Either because they gave a halachic ruling in Moshe's

presence, or because they entered the Mishkan after drinking intoxicating wine.8. 10:3 - A portion of the Torah was given solely through Aharon.9. 10:9-11 - He may not give a halachic ruling. Also, a kohen is forbidden to enter the Ohel

Mo'ed, approach the mizbe'ach, or perform the avoda.10.10:16 - The goat offerings of the inauguration ceremony, of Rosh Chodesh, and of

Nachshon ben Aminadav.11.10:16 - The Rosh Chodesh chatat: Either because it became tamei, or because the kohanim

were forbidden to eat from it while in the state of aninut (mourning).12.10:16 - Out of respect for Aharon, Moshe directed his anger at his sons and not directly at

Aharon.13.10:17 - Because only when the kohanim eat the chatat are the sins of the owners atoned.14.11:2 - Because they accepted the deaths of Nadav and Avihu in silence.15.11:3 - An animal whose hooves are completely split and who chews its cud.16.11:4,5,6,7 - Four: Camel, shafan, hare, and pig.17.11:12 - Yes.18.11:19 - Because it acts with chesed (kindness) toward other storks.19.11:21 - We have lost the tradition and are not able to identify the kosher chagav.20.11:36 - It must be connected to the ground (i.e., a spring or a cistern).

Remez HaShavua by Neil Bodner According to Torah law, some Korbanot require Tenufah – waving the Korban up, down, and in all four

compass directions. Rashi (Shemos 29:24) states that waving the Korban in all four compass directions symbolizes that Hashem’s Presence is throughout the world and stops bad winds from coming from any of the four directions, while raising and lowering the Korban symbolizes that Hashem owns the heavens as well as the earth and stops bad dew from falling.

These meanings behind Tenufah parallel Bnei Yisrael’s missions in this world. One of Bnei Yisrael’s purposes is to extend into the four corners of the earth in order to carry Hashem’s message throughout the planet. This will merit Mashiach, and Bnei Yisrael will be gathered from those four corners. This is why Adam HaRishon was created from all four corners of the earth: he served as a precedent that man has the ability to make all four corners a part of himself (Rebbe of Radomsk’s comments to Bereishis 13:14).

Additionally, Bnei Yisrael show the world that Hashem owns both heaven and earth and that nothing can happen without His hand behind it. Sometimes we believe that we act alone when accomplishing things in life, but we need to internalize that in reality, Hashem is behind our accomplishments.

 Lastly, the act of Tenufah prevents bad winds and dew from coming upon us because when we act righteously and fulfill our purpose, Hashem will prevent punishment from coming upon His children.

The Remez: The Gematria (numerical value) of the word תנופה, waving, is identical to that of 541 (ישראל( , since the messages of the waving service remind Bnei Yisrael of their mission.

Torah Quiz

WHO AM I?

Refined SilverThere was a group of women that met for Bible study.  While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of G-d.  One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study.

The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work.   She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.  He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities.  The woman thought about G-d holding using such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined.  The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire.  If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment.  Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that you are in G-d's hand, He has His eye on you, and He will keep holding you and watching you until He sees His image in you.

Deaths of Nadav and AvihuRabbi E.E. Dessler compiled a list of 12 reasons mentioned in the writings of our Rabbis

(This is by no means exhaustive.)

1) They ruled a Torah law while in the presence of their teacher Moshe.

2) They entered the Holy of Holies.

3) They offered a sacrifice, which they were not commanded to offer.

4) They brought a foreign fire, i.e. from an improper source.

5) They did not take counsel from each other, but proceeded independently.

6) They entered the Sanctuary while under the influence of wine.

7) They did the priestly servitude while not wearing all the required priestly vestments, "cho'seir m'il."

8) They did the priestly servitude without first going through the sanctification of their hands and feet from the laver.

9) They did not have children.

10) They did not have wives. They reasoned, "Our paternal uncle (Moshe) is a king, our maternal uncle is a tribal leader, our father is the Kohein Godol, we are Vice Kohanim G'dolim (s'ganim). Does there exist women who are worthy to become our wives?"

11) They said or thought, "When will these two elders (Moshe and Aharon) pass on, so that we may be in the position of leadership?"

12) They coarsened their hearts and satiated their eyes with a vision of the Holy Spirit (Shmos 24:11).

Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Said

Shemini

This week's parshah begins with the words "And it was on the eighth day." Which eighth day? Counting from when? The parshah speaks about a very special beginning: the first days of the actual service in the Mishkan. For many weeks now, the parshiyos have been talking about the Mishkan. We've read about the building of the Mishkan, about the kohanim who would serve there, the clothes they would wear, and the sacrifices they would bring. At the end of the previous parshah, we read how HaShem commanded Aharon the Kohain and his sons to bring special sacrifices for seven days to prepare themselves for the daily service in the Mishkan. And now we are reading about the beginning of the actual service. During the seven days, Moshe had put up the Mishkan and taken it apart each day. On the eighth day, he put it up and left it standing. Then the kohanim began their daily service. But why is this called the eighth day? HaShem told the kohanim to count seven days of preparation. He did not mention an eighth day. This day is new, different, and separate, because this is when the actual service in the Mishkan began. Calling it the eighth day makes it sound like it's a continuation of the seven days that came before. One of the meforshim, the Kli Yakar, explains that the number eight is very different from the number seven. Seven symbolizes the natural, daily pattern of life, as in the seven days in the week. Eight symbolizes what is higher than nature. HaShem put His holiness in all the things around us, but we cannot always see it openly. The number eight is connected with revealing His holiness for everyone to see. That is why the Torah calls this the eighth day, because on this day "the glory of HaShem was revealed to the entire people." But we still ask: Calling this the eighth day connects it to the seven days which came before. Since eight is very different from seven, why does the Torah call it the eighth day? Because HaShem wants there to be a connection between the eight and the seven. Eight is supernatural, while seven is natural. By calling it "the eighth day," the Torah shows that the purpose of the avodah in the Mishkan is to bring the special holiness connected with the number eight into the ordinary, natural things that are connected with the number seven. Our Rabbis teach us another interesting thing about the number eight. The harps used by the musicians in the Beis HaMikdash had seven strings. But the harps which will be used in the time of Mashiach will have eight strings, because then HaShem's holiness will be openly revealed.

(Sefer HaSichos 5751, Vol. II, p. 475)

At a glance, this Parsha spells trouble! That's because it starts off with that worrisome word "Vayehi." Now, literally, "vayehi" is harmless. It means "and it came to pass." Simple enough! But when "Vayehi" comes at the beginning of a Perek (chapter) it translates to doom and gloom! Usually, "Vayehi" is paired off with "bimay" as in "and it happened in the days." But don't let that double dose trick you - "Vayehi" is trouble enough when it appears alone! "Vayehi" is a contraction of the words "vay" and "haya" (a bad event happened).

In Parshat Shmini, the zing zooms in on Aharon's two sons, Nadav and Avihu. They get caught up in the dedication celebrations, and in a drunk stupor, light the Mizbayach with their own fire. Well, those two zealous Kohanim get fired.... literally! Hashem sends a swoop of Heavenly fire and burns them inside out. Here are some more examples of tough times on the "Vayehi" front:

1.  "Vayehi Bimay Amrafel" - "And it came to pass in the days of Amrafel" (Bereishit 14:1). Even if you don't know Amrafel, you can be sure that there's trouble a-brewing! In this Perek, it's the four kings vs. the five in a major canaanite war that puts Lot right in the center of the battle. During the course of this war, Lot is captured. Tragic, huh? Well, anyone who knows Lot knows that he might be worth a "Va" but not a "vayehi bimay!" The real tragedy lurks around the bend as Lot is used as bait to draw Avrohom into the conflict. The true intention is to kill Avrohom. Now that would be a tragedy! Little do these gentile kings realize that Avrohom is the light of the world. It goes to show us readers the greatness of Avrohom - a true "vayehi-worthy" tzadik!

2.   "Vayehi bimay Achaz Ben Yosam..."...- "And it came to pass in the days of Achaz, son of Yosam, ..., King of Yehuda, that Retzin, king of Aram, and Pekach, son of Rimalyahu, king of Israel, went up to Yerushalayim, to wage war against it..." (Yishayahu 7:1). Well, so much for the obvious! True, waging war on Yerushalayim is tragic, but Chazal (our sages) attribute the "Vayehi bimay" to a sign of the times: Achaz was one wicked idol-worshipping king! He was bent on driving the Shechinah away from the Jewish people. Achaz locked up all the Yeshivas, houses of learning and Batei Midrash. Learning Torah was forbidden. He especially made sure that the children remained ignorant. That way the next generation of Torah leaders wouldn't know Adam from Adam.

Baruch Hashem, his plan failed and Torah triumphed. Still, the unbroken chain of tradition was weakened and much Torah was lost in the process... a terrible tragedy!

3.  Then there's the most famous "Vayehi Bimay": "Vayehi Bimay Achashverosh" - "And it came to pass in the days of Achashverosh." Surely you recognize the opening line to Megillat Esther! Haman

plotted to destroy the Jewish people on the 14th of Adar. And he almost succeeded! Unfortunately for him, Hashem planted Esther in the palace and Haman's plan went kaploowie!

Now, the "Vayehi (Bimay)" connection is a good general rule for tracking tragedy. But be warned that some sages say that it doesn't have a 100% track record. Rabbi Yishmael, however, is a firm believer in the "volatile Vayehi." And so, when some sages challenged him to explaim the tragic score of "Vayomer Hashem Yehi Ohr, Vayehi ohr" ("and Hashem said let there be light, and there was light"). Where's the tragedy in the light of creation?, they wondered.

Well, Rav Yishmael was well prepared. He explained that the light of "vayehi ohr" never made it to the sixth day of creation. This light was deemed to be too wonderful for this world. One day into creation, Hashem has already determined that mankind is not going to be worthy of greatness! (How do you like that? Doomed before the first man even makes an appearance!). So Hashem took away this heavenly light and replaced it with a dimmer bulb. The original light is reserved for Tzadikim to enjoy in Olam Habah (the next world).

Okay, that clears up "Vayehi ohr." But why does each day of creation wind up with a "vayehi" (as in "vayehi erev, vayehi boker yom revii; and it was night and it was day, a fourth day")?

Rav Yishmael explained that these "vayehis" teach us that this world was not created in a state of perfection. For example, grains grow from the ground, but you've got to grind and bake them before you can eat them.

When Hashem zapped Nadav and Avihu, the heavenly fire burnt them from the inside, sparing their bodies and the clothing of the Kehuna that they wore. Like clockwork, the dedication continued on. Perhaps this hints at the true meaning of "vayehi." In every case of calamity, there is always a hint that hope looms on the horizon: Avrohom defeated the kings and rescued Lot; Achaz could not extinguish the light of Torah; As hard as he tried; Haman's plot was foiled; Hashem will once again reveal His wonderous light in the future when Moshiach comes; and finally, although this world is not perfect, Hashem has revealed the secret to achieving perfection - Torah, the light of all creation!

Is It Kosher? From the JewishLearningExchange.com

The Mishkan was a holy building, filled with holy furnishings, where the Kohanim did holy work to serve HaShem. It's very important to have holy places and things. And the Kohanim are very holy people. But they're not the only ones who can be holy! Every single Jew can become holy through doing mitzvahs. One way that a Jewish person can develop a spiritual holiness within himself or herself is to eat only kosher food.

Have you ever heard the expression, "You are what you eat"? People take on the qualities of the things they eat. Kosher animals are all domesticated, gentle species. The Torah gives us certain signs to watch for so that we can figure out which animals are kosher and which are not.

In our parsha this week, we learn the two signs that identify a kosher animal:

  1.    The animal must have completely split hooves.

2.      The animal must "chew its cud" - in other words, bring its food back up from its stomach to its mouth to chew it a second time before digesting it.

Without both of these signs, an animal cannot be kosher. Cows, sheep, and goats have both signs. (So do giraffes - but for practical reasons, we don't eat them!) Horses, donkeys, lions, bears, and many other animals don't have either sign. But some animals have one of the two signs. For example, a camel chews its cud and has partially split hooves - but that's not good enough to make it kosher. Rabbits also chew their cud, but they don't have split hooves. And pigs have split hooves, but they

don't chew their cud.

Show and Tell When Moshe taught the Jews which animals were kosher and which were not, he held up a sample of each animal as he mentioned it. In this way, he made absolutely sure that every single person would understand exactly what he was talking about.

What Does Kosher Mean? The Hebrew word kosher literally means "fit" or "proper" but it also means "prepared". From this we can understand that even if a certain type of animal is a kosher species, it's not actually kosher to eat until it is prepared in a kosher way. For example, a kosher animal must be slaughtered humanely, with a perfectly smooth knife that doesn't cause it any pain. And it must be soaked and salted to remove every bit of blood, which Jews are not allowed to eat. We'll be learning about those laws in a few weeks, in parshat Acharei.

Preparing an animal in a kosher way involves a lot of work. The special, smooth knife that is used is called a chalif, which literally means "exchange." It takes months for a shochet (kosher butcher) to learn how to make a perfectly smooth chalif. When a chalif is used, the animal changes from something that was not fit to eat, into something that is fit to eat - in other words, it becomes kosher!

Something's Fishy About ThisAny fish with both fins and scales - such as tuna, salmon, or carp, to name a few - is kosher to eat. Predatory fish (fish that eat other fish) such as sharks, swordfish, catfish, which hunt down and eat other fish, don't have the kosher signs. Which would you rather be like, a gentle tuna or a vicious shark? Remember, you are what you eat!

There's a special Jewish custom to eat fish on Shabbat. This is hinted to by the Hebrew word for fish, dag, which is spelled dalet-gimmel. The Hebrew letter dalet has numerical value 4, and the letter gimmel has the value 3. Add them up and you get 7 and the seventh day of the week is Shabbat!

It wouldn't be Shabbat without gefilte fish - but what kind of fish is that, anyway? Actually, no one has ever caught a gefilte fish? Gefilte means "filled." Gefilte fish is all different kinds of fish chopped up and mixed together, and filled with spices.

Birds of a FeatherBirds don't have particular kosher signs to watch for. Instead, the Torah lists about 20 species of bird that we are not allowed to eat, and any birds that are not on that list are kosher. All of the birds on the list are birds of prey (birds that eat other animals) and they have sharp claws!

Today, we only eat birds that, by tradition handed down through the generations, we know have always been considered kosher to eat. These include chicken and duck, and, for most people, turkey.

There was a great rabbi by the name of Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz, who was known as the Shelah (which stands for Shnei Luchot Habrit, the name of the famous book he wrote). He lived in the 1600s, not long after people in Europe first started eating turkey. The Shelah requested that his family, down through the generations, should not eat turkey. He reasoned that, in the time of the Torah, no one had ever even seen a turkey, and so there was no reliable tradition of eating turkey. To this day, descendants of the Shelah, who have the last names Horowitz or Gurevitz and are of

the tribe of Levi, follow his lead and do not eat turkey!

Creepy Crawly ThingsYou'll be happy to know that bugs are not kosher! Of course you wouldn't want to eat them anyway? But it's still important to know that you're not allowed to eat insects, otherwise you might eat a bug by accident! Tiny bugs are often hidden in vegetables and fruits, such as lettuce, broccoli, and dates. If you don't check carefully, you might not know they're there. But if you wash produce thoroughly, and inspect it closely in

bright light, you can make sure that nothing is crawling in your food. (Eeeew!)Believe it or not, certain kinds of grasshoppers are kosher. Today we don't know exactly which species are kosher and which are not. (For most people, this isn't really such a big problem. Would you really want to pack a box of chocolate-covered grasshoppers in your lunchbox?)

Another Kind of Kosher SignThere is another kind of kosher sign that helps us to know what we're allowed to eat - the hechsherim -- those little symbols that are printed on the packages of food we buy in the grocery store. They tell us that we can be sure that all of the ingredients inside the package are kosher, and that the food was processed on clean, kosher equipment.Without a reliable kosher symbol, it would be impossible to figure out whether a certain food product was kosher to eat. Even if you read the list of ingredients, that's not enough to be sure. For example, what does

"natural flavor" or "natural color" mean? Flavorings or colorings made from animals or insects are 100% natural - but they may not be kosher! The kosher sign is the only way to know; it's the stamp of approval.

by Zvi Akiva Fleisher

"Zose hachayoh asher tochlu mikol hab'heimoh asher AL HO'ORETZ" (11:2) - The Ramban interprets the words "al ho'oretz" as "al pnei kol ho'oretz," meaning anywhere in the world. Alternatively, he says that these words indicate that the signs for kashrus of an animal offered here apply only to those animals that live on the earth, but sea creatures have different guidelines, as delineated in the laws of fish. Rabbi Shlomo haLevi Gottlieb Karliner, the Sheima Shlomo, explains the words "al ho'oretz" with the gemara Sanhedrin 59b. Rabbi Shimon bar Chalafta was walking and came upon lions. They roared in a manner indicating that they had come upon their meal. Rabbi Shimon said the verse in T'hilim 104:21, "Hakfirim sho'agim lato'ref," - the young lions roar for their meal. Miraculously, two thighs of meat descended from heaven and Rabbi Shimon offered them to the lions. They consumed one and left the other one over. Rabbi Shimon brought it with him to the Beis Hamedrash. The question was raised if the meat was permissible for consumption. The Rabbis of the Beis Hamedrash concluded that anything that is sent from heaven is permitted. The Sheima Shlomo says that this is the intention of the words "al ho'oretz." When dealing with animals that roam on the earth signs of kashrus are required as per verse 3. However, if meat is sent from heaven, no sign is needed to permit its consumption

"Sheketz hu lochem" (11:20) This verse prohibits the eating of flying insects. Targum Yonoson ben Uziel writes on these words, "b'ram duvsho d'ziboro yisocheil," - however honey of a bee may be eaten. The gemara B'choros 7b derives this from the opening words of the next verse, "Es zeh tochlu." Rabbi Akiva says that since these words are on the heels of the prohibition of our verse, we may deduce that although eating insects is prohibited, that which they excrete, honey, may be eaten. There may also be an allusion to this within our verse, which says "haholeich al Arba Sheketz Hu lochem." The first letters of "Arba Sheketz Hu" are Alef-Shin-Hei, whose numerical value equals that of DVASH, 306. The next word of the verse is “lochem”, it is permitted for you.

"Dorosh dorash" (10:16) - The gemara Kedushin 30a says that of the total number of words that appear in the Torah, "dorosh" is the last word of the first half, and "dorash" is the first word of the second half. MRVRHRH"G R' Yaakov Kamenecki zt"l counted the words and found that there were approximately nine hundred more words in the first half than in the second half. In an attempt to answer this, he applied a rule of the cantillations (trup). One particular trup called "makaf" does not create any audible difference. It serves to indicate that two words are conceptually connected. Some say that the "makaf" makes the two words surrounding it as one word, although there must be a letter space left between them for the kashrus of the Sefer Torah. He counted once again using this rule, and it narrowed down the discrepancy greatly, bringing the difference down to under three hundred words. Although the count is still off by quite a bit, he added that since we do not have a clear knowledge of all the trup signs, possibly there are another almost three hundred more "makafim" in the first half of the Torah. Rabbi Yaakov Shur, Raava"d of Kitov, in his sefer Mishnas Rebbi Yaakov says that he counted the words of the Torah and found that they totalled 79,980. Half of this is 39,990. Dorosh should be the 39,990th word, but in reality it is the 40,921st word. Meseches Sofrim 9:2 says that the word "dorosh" must appear as the last word on the line in a Sefer Torah, and the following word "dorash" must be placed as the first word on the following line. This teaches us that when one delves into the Torah and believes that he has plumbed the full depth of understanding, that he has reached the end of the line in his "drisha," research, he sees on the next line that the word "dorash" is the first word, indicating that he is still at the beginning of understanding; "Toras Hashem t'mimoh (T'hilim 19:8). (Pardes Yosef) As well, "Dorosh chatzi haTorah" indicates that the "Torah she'b'ksav" is only half the Torah, as the "droshos," the interpretations of our sages, are the integral other half of the Torah. (Pardes Yosef)

"V'eis hachasidoh" (11:19) - The Ibn Ezra says that the bird "chasidoh" is only sighted at certain times, "mo'adim," of the year. The Holy Admor of Kotzk says that we see from the words of the Ibn Ezra that

if one acts as a "chosid" at only certain times of the year, i.e. when he goes to his Rebbe for a Yom Tov, etc. it is the sign of a non-kosher chosid, just like the "chasidoh" is a non-kosher bird species

"Va'teitzei aish milifnei Hashem" (9,24)- And fire issued forth from Hashem - It came down, crouching on the offerings in the form of a large lion. When the bnei Yisroel were not at their best behaviour the fire that came down from heaven took on the form of a dog. (Holy Zohar)

The story is told of the Apter Rov, Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel, who said that he had come back to earth a fourth time as Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel. The first time he was a sheep in Yaakov's flock when Yaakov left Lovon. Another time he was Rabbi Yishmo'eil Kohein Godol. Because of this, during Yom Kippur musaf prayers instead of saying "v'kach hoyoh o'meir," he would say, "v'kach hoYISI o'meir." Another time he was a young Kohein in training called "pirchei K'hunoh." He related that he clearly remembers that when he was a member of the "pirchei K'hunoh" a member of the local community, named Reb Gronim, who behaved as a "sheineh Yid," and was very disparaging of the common folk, accidently transgressed the Holy Shabbos unintentionally. He did not have his own flock of animals so he went to the market of the vendors of sheep and goats to purchase his chatos offering. He was humiliated, as many people milled around and he was well known. He quietly asked a vendor for an appropriate animal. The vendor could not hear him given the general din of the market place so he had to repeat his request loudly. He purchased a goat which had a small lead rope attached. Shamed-face he walked through the market area. He finally made it till he was right in front of the Beis Hamikdosh when he suddenly realized that he had been walking with just a rope; the goat slipped out of the loop. He had already consecrated it so he HAD TO recover it lest it be found and used for secular matters. He screamed out loudly, "My chatos goat is lost! My chatos goat is lost!" It was finally found and ascertained as his by signs of the colouring of the hair. He finally entered and waited in line with the "unintentional sinners," no queue hopping. By now his visage had taken on a very crimson look. His haughty upright stature had turned into a bent over contrite bearing. His animal was slaughtered and its inners were offered upon the altar. He was told by the Kohein to sincerely repent. He mumbled some words of sorrow to himself with the hope that this demeaning odyssey would end shortly. All of a sudden he heard the Kohein tell him that he had not properly repented. The fire that was consuming his offering had taken on the shape of a dog. Finally, he got serious and repented with tears copiously running down his rotund, and now burning with shame, cheeks. He then heard the Kohein say, "You are forgiven! The fire has taken on the shape of a lion." Reb Gronim was never the same again. He had changed for the better to an extreme. (This exercise is for an unintentional sin; whoa to the intentional sinner!)

"Va'y'hi ba'yom hashmini"(9:1) And it was on the eighth day - The M.R. 11:6 says that Moshe served as a Kohein Godol for the first 7 days of the dedication and handed over the reins to Aharon on the eighth day. Why did it take until the eighth day for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the Mishkon and why didn't it take place during Moshe's short tenure? As well, why was Moshe given K'hunoh G'doloh only to have to later relinquish it? The medrash explains that Moshe refused to accept the mission of becoming leader of the bnei Yisroel and being their spokesman to Paroh. This went on for seven days (see Rashi on Shmos 4:10). Hashem was angry with Moshe and relegated him from the future position of Kohein Godol to a regular Levite. By now being Kohein Godol for 7 days he thought that Hashem relented and that he would receive this exalted position. For refusing for 7 days he was paid back in kind and had 7 days of being Kohein Godol, savouring a week of this great holiness, and experiencing all the more painful a loss when relieved of this position.

"Va'yovo Moshe v'Aharon el ohel mo'eid" (9:23) - Moshe and Aharon came to ohel mo'eid - Rashi says that he found in an addendum to Toras Kohanim that Moshe entered with Aharon to teach him how to process the incense. Rabbi Yeshayoh (Baal Tosfos in Moshav Z'keinim) asks, "Why didn't Moshe teach him this earlier? Hadn't the congregational offerings been processed since the first day of the dedication?" He answers that there is a requirement to take coals from the outer altar and use them to burn the incense. On a daily basis the "tomid" was offered and its body arranged on the altar. Wood was placed on the altar as fuel, but no one lit it, as it was required to have a "heavenly fire," but no heavenly fire came. This scenario repeated itself for 7 days. Thus there were no coals with which to burn the incense. Only on the eighth day, when a fire descended from heaven, were there coals for the incense.

The stinaks marinus from head to foot (meorot.org)The author of Tosfos Yom Tov recounts (in Ma'adanei Yom Tov on the Rosh, Chulin, Ch. 3, §67, os 5) that while he was the Rabbi of Vienna, “the scholar Reb Aharon Rofei brought him a marine creature called stinaks marinus found off the shores of Spain, which was very dangerous to eat but pharmacists knew how to extract its toxin and prepare different cures from its flesh. The stinaks marinus has a broad head, a spine, four legs and scales but has no fins.” This unusual creature perturbed many poskim because its existence apparently contradicts that stated in our mishnah, that “anything that has scales has fins”.

The author of Tosfos Yom Tov suggests that this stinaks marinus is not a creature of the Creation and didn’t even exist in Chazal’s era and that it is a result of a mixture of two species (s.v. Sham and see Pri Chadash and Tevuos Shor, 83).

Fins that fall off: The author of Pri Chadash wrote (Y.D. 83) that it could be that the fins of this strange creature fall off at a certain stage and that therefore it is pure. Other poskim negate this suggestion and contend that we must admit that the rule of “anything that has scales has fins” has an exception (see HaKsav VehaKabalah, parashas Shemini, and Kreisi Ufleisi, ibid, S.K. 2) and, in their opinion, it is impure and forbidden for eating (and so ruled Kenesses Yechezkel in his chidushim here).

On the other hand, Magen Avraham, in his commentary on Yalkut Shim'oni called Zayis Ra’anan (parashas Shemini) explains that the Gemara itself related to the existence of such a creature… Our Gemara says that though anything which has scales has fins and that there’s no creature which has scales and has no fins, the Torah wrote (Vayikra 11:9): “This you may eat from all that is in the water – everything that has fins and scales” because of yagdil Torah veya'dir – to increase and aggrandize the Torah. In other words, it would have sufficed to write that one may only eat a marine creature that has scales, without the need to add that it must have fins, as there is no scaled creature without fins but the Torah stated the issue at length because of yagdil Torah. Magen Avraham explains that the meaning of yagdil Torah is that although there is one creature with scales and without fins, namely the stinaks marinus, there’s no need to forbid eating it as it is poisonous and inedible but nonetheless the Torah forbade it explicitly to aggrandize the Torah: anyone who doesn’t eat it gets a reward even though he anyway wouldn’t eat it (also cited in Nachal Eshkol, p. 67).

We must differentiate between fish and sea creatures: The author of Tosfos Yom Tov does not leave off the topic and asserts that our basic assumption, that the rule of “anything that has scales has fins” includes all marine creatures, needs examination. In his opinion, we must differentiate between fish and other sea creatures. The verse “This you may eat from all that is in the water, everything which has fins and scales” refers to fish only and not to other sea creatures – as does the rule stated in our mishnah. Thus the fins in this verse are redundant and were mentioned because of yagdil Torah. The following verse (10), however, "And all that have no fins and scales… from all that move around in the water and from all living creatures in the water are abhorred for you" refers to all sea creatures including stinaks marinus and the like; the fins in this verse are not redundant at all as there are sea creatures with scales without fins, which are forbidden.

From Tosfos Yom Tov's words emerges a tremendous chidush: any marine creature with fins and scales is permitted for eating! ‘Aroch HaShulchan discusses the issue (Y.D. 83:6-12) and proves from Rambam that only fish were permitted by fins and scales and no other creatures (and so maintains the author of Responsa Halachos Ketanos)

18th Century GedolimShe'eilat Ya'avetzRav Yaakov Emden was born in Altona in 1698. The son of the Chacham Tzvi, he was the author of a set of responsa, known as She'eilat Ya'avetz, as well as a commentary on Ketubot, Beit Yaakov. In addition to his writings, he is known for his accusations against Rav Yonatan Eibeschutz, claiming that he was a follower of the false Messiah Shabbtai Tzvi. Rav Emden passed away in 1776.

GR"ARav Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman of Vilna, known as the Vilna Gaon or G"RA, is one of the most dominating figures of halachic Judaism since the Shulchan Aruch. Born in Brisk (Brest-Litovsk) in 1720, he was the author of countless works in all areas of Rabbinic literature, including Aderet Eliyahu on the Torah, a commentary on the Mishna, and commentaries on both the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds. He also wrote commentaries on the Mishne Torah of Rambam, as well as on the Shulchan Aruch. Demonstrating his versatility and familiarity with all areas of Jewish knowledge, he penned a work on the Sefer Yetzirah, one of the main kabbalistic books. He was the student of the Pnei Moshe, as the teacher of, among others, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik of Volozhin. He passed away in 1798.

Rav Chaim Yoseif David AzulaiPerhaps the Sephardic equivalent to the Vilna Gaon, Rav Chaim Yoseif David Azulai, known as Chida, was born in 1724 in Jerusalem. His works include a collection of responsa known as Yoseif Ometz, as well as many other commentaries and essays (almost all of which utilize at least one of his names in their titles). 1806.

Ginat VeradimRav Avraham ben Mordechai HaLevi was born in 1650 in Egypt. His Ginat Veradim is a collection of responsa frequently cited by commentators to the Shulchan Aruch. He passed away in 1712.

Machatzit HaShekelRav Shmuel ben Natan Neta HaLevi was born in 1738. His Machatzit HaShekel appears as a commentary on the bottom of current standard pages of the Shulchan Aruch. He passed away in 1827.

Rav Avraham DanzigRav Avraham Danzig was born in 1748 in Danzig. His main works are the Chayei Adam and Chochmat Adam, halachic compendia on the Orach Chaim and Yoreh De'ah sections of the Shulchan Aruch, respectively. He also wrote glosses on Seder Zera'im. His teachers included the Noda BiYehuda. He passed away in 1821 in Vilna.

Be'er HeitevRav Yehuda ben Shimon Ashkenazi was born in 1748 in Tiktin. His main work, Be'eir Heitev, one of the major commentaries on the first three divisions of the Shulchan Aruch. The precise date of his death is unknown.

Rav Akiva EigerRav Akiva ben Moshe Eiger was born in 1768 in Hungary. His many works included commentaries on the Talmud, a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, a set of responsa, and the Gilyon HaShas, a minor commentary on the Talmud which references sources around the Talmud and now appears on the standard page of the Babylonian Talmud. Among his many students was Rav Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer, one of the early Rabbis of Neo-Orthodoxy (the forerunner of today's Orthodox Judaism). He passed away in 1838 in Posen.

Chatam SoferRav Moshe Sofer (Schreiber) was born in 1763 in Frankfurt. He is generally considered to be the leader of the third strain of Judaism during the enlightenment era. While the Neo-Orthodox sought to engage the maskilim (enlighteners) and to directly combat them, Sofer adopted the view of "Chadash assur min HaTorah" - all that is novel (in this case, in religious practice), is forbidden by the Torah. His main work is a collection of

his responsa, encompassing several volumes, and he also authored a commentary to the Shulchan Aruch. His students included his son, known as the Ktav Sofer. He passed away in Pressburg in 1840.

ז ג ג א י נ י מ ש ש א מש ק ב ק ר ש ל ו א ר נ ש

א י כ ם ר ב י ו ב א ל ה

ן ד ת ע ה ד א ק ה ל ע ב

ל ם ק ב ם ל ש ר ד ו ע י

ש ל פ מ ש ם ן ם ש ו מ ה

מ ו ה י ק ז מ י נ ר ב א

ו א ק י ט פ פ ר י כ מ כ

נ ר ל ל ר ך ר ת א ט ל ח

ה א י נ ת ע ס ש ו ל צ מ

מ ה ס ה ף ג ת ה ב ו ב י

ה צ ה ר ש ר ז ע ל א ש עמשה אהרן עלה ויברכםוידם קטרת חטאת כבוד

אלעזר דרש מפרסת ושסעתMost Parshas are read 4 times (Minchah of previous Shabbos, Monday, Thursday, Shabbos). Parsha Shemini can be read a maximum of how many times?

BONUS

WHEN PIGS FLY One of the most paradigmatic aspects of Jewish practice has been the prohibition against non-kosher food in general and pork in particular. The pig has never enjoyed a positive reputation in Jewish tradition. The Talmud in one place labels the pig a "walking privy (toilet)." It was considered a particularly abominable beast. At times when making reference to the pig the Talmud was loath to even use the term, replacing the word pig or swine with "something else."

THE PROHIBITION AGAINST PORKWhile some of the laws of Kashrut had been introduced in previous sections, the prohibition against pork is found in this week's Torah portion:

In order for an animal to be kosher it needs both to chew its cud and have split hooves. The Torah tell us that there are a few animals which have only one of the two signs; these animals are deemed unkosher. But only the pig-swine has split hooves but does not chew its cud, and is consequently not kosher. The Talmud therefore deduces that if an animal that is not a pig and has split hooves is ever discovered, it may be eaten. It can be taken for granted that it will chew cud.

Rabbi Hisda further said: "If a man was walking in the desert and found an animal with its mouth mutilated, he should examine its hoofs; if they are parted he may be certain that it is clean, but if not, he may be certain that it is unclean; provided, however, he recognizes the swine. You admit then that there is the swine [which is the exception to the rule]. But might there well be other species similar to the swine? That should not enter your mind, for a Tanna of the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: 'The Ruler of the universe knows that there is no other beast that parts the hoof and is unclean except the swine...'" (Chullin 59a)

SYMBOL OF HYPOCRISYIt is interesting that the pig is the only animal that has these unique traits - outwardly acceptable, but the inner analysis reveals the deficiency. The pig therefore became synonymous with hypocrisy. The image of the swine presenting its split hooves as evidence of its purity was a powerful image. Various personalities in the Bible who were deemed by the rabbis as hypocritical were thus described:

And Cain went out... Whence did he go out? Rabbi Aibu said: "It means that he threw the words behind him and went out, like one who would deceive the Almighty." Rabbi Berekiah said in Rabbi Eleazar's name: "He went forth like one who shows the cloven hoof, like one who deceives his Creator." (Midrash Rabbah Genesis 22:13)

That Pharaoh, Vashti, (the wife of the king of Persia who preceded Esther), and other denigrated characters were labeled as acting or actually being like pigs. However, the major personality who was associated with the pig was Esau in particular, and, eventually, the Romans (his descendants) in general.

Rabbi Isaac said: "[G-d declared]: 'You have given a name to your swine [Esau]; then I too will name My firstborn, as it says, Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn'" (Midrash Rabbah - Genesis 63:8)

Why does he compare it [the Roman State] to a swine? For this reason: when the swine is lying down it puts out its hoofs, as if to say, "I am clean," so does this wicked State rob and oppress, yet pretend to be executing justice. So for forty years Esau used to ensnare married women and violate them, yet when he attained forty years he compared himself to his father, saying, "As my father was forty years old when he married, so I will marry at the age of forty." (Midrash Rabbah - Genesis 65:1)

The superficiality of Esau, manifested by his "positive," ostentatious outward behavior, was contradicted by his spiritually barren inner self. But it is interesting that the Midrash went a step further and insisted that Esau was the prototype for the entire hated Roman Empire.

ASSOCIATION WITH EXILEThe Midrash in fact associates the various exiles with the four unclean animals enumerated in this week's Torah portion: Moses foresaw the empires engaged in their [subsequent] activities. [Among the unclean animals] the camel alludes to Babylon ... the rock badger alludes to Media.

The Rabbis and Rabbi Judah ben Simon gave different explanations. The Rabbis said: "Just as the rock-badger possesses marks of uncleanness and marks of cleanness, so too did Media produce a righteous man as well as a wicked man." Rabbi Judah ben Simon said: "The last Darius was the son of Esther, clean from his mother and unclean from his father.

The hare alludes to Greece; the name of the mother of Ptolemy was [Lagos, the Greek equivalent of] hare. The swine alludes to Seir [Edom, i.e. Rome].

Why is it [i.e. Edom or Rome] compared to a swine? To tell you this: Just as the swine, when reclining, puts forth its hooves as if to say, 'See that I am clean,' so too does the empire of Edom [Rome] boast as it commits violence and robbery, under the guise of establishing a judicial tribunal. This may be compared to a governor who put to death the thieves, adulterers, and sorcerers. He leaned over to an advisor and said: 'I myself did these three things in one night.'" (Midrash Rabbah - Leviticus 13:5)

The comparison of the various animals to different empires is intriguing. On one hand, the relative length of the Roman exile would justify the separate verse. On the other hand, this association can help explain a fascinating tradition. Various authorities have mentioned a teaching that in the Messianic age the pig will become kosher. The ultimate symbol of treif becoming acceptable would surely be a sign that the eschatological age has begun

RETURN OF THE PIGThe source of the tradition is related to the etymology of the word pig -- the Hebrew is hazir -- which has the root chet-zayin-resh. The Hebrew verb "return" has the same root, suggesting that one day the pig will return.

Another interpretation: The camel is an allusion to Babylon ... The hare is an allusion to Media ... The rock-badger is an allusion to Greece ... The swine is an allusion to Edom [Rome]... And why is the last-named called hazir? Because it will yet restore (hazar) the crown to its owner. This is indicated by what is written, And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. (Ovadia 21).

Babylon, Persia, and Greece all followed one after the other. Immediately following the Greek domination of Israel the Roman domination and exile followed. The Romans - who adopted Christianity and are thus equated with the Christian world - have not been replaced. The Midrash, though, stresses that the word hazir implies return. This Midrash predicts the return of the Land of Israel to its rightful owner after a long exile.

What the Midrash does not say, is that the pig, the very symbol of that exile, would itself return. Rather, Esau the ultimate wayward son, and his outwardly righteous spiritual descendants, will one day return. Perhaps this is all the Midrash wished to convey, yet the return itself is predicated on the word hazir.

The problem with the pig becoming kosher, is the basic tenet of Judaism that the Torah is unchanging, and no person, even a prophet, has the right to add or subtract from the Torah. While the Messianic age does possess some degree of mystery, it seems difficult to disregard the Torah. Many medieval sages, particularly Rav Sa'adya Gaon and Maimonides, were adamant on this issue.

KOSHER PIGThere is another way to reconcile the two seemingly opposing positions -- of the immutability of Torah and the pig becoming kosher in the Messianic age: The pig can change. A number of authorities, including Rav Menachim Azarya DeFano, Rav Chaim Ibn Attar, and the Chatam Sofer, suggested that the pig will undergo what may be called an evolutionary process and develop a cud, rendering it kosher!

If the pig can change and become kosher, and cease to be a symbol of hypocrisy and evil, certainly the peoples who have been compared to the pig can undergo a fundamental change and return to the inherent good with which G-d endowed every man.

The Haftarah for Shabbat Parashat Sheminiby Reuben Ebrahimoff - The Haftorahman

King David Brings the Aron Hakodesh (The Ark of the Covenant) to Yerushalaim. (Jerusalem.) Sephardim read from Shmuel Bait (Samuel II) Chapter 6 Verses 1-19.

The Story Line of This Week's Haftorah: The Haftorah begins with King David gathering together 30,000 men from the Nation of Israel to bring the Ark of the Hashem and The Ten Commandments to Jerusalem. They started the journey from Baalei Yehuda also known as Kiryat Yeraim, which is located about 10 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Uzzah and Ahio placed the Ark of the Covenant on a new wagon and they started the journey from the house of Avinadav in the city of Givah (also north of Jerusalem). David wanted to create a lively atmosphere for this special event, so he and all his men played musical instruments while they sang and danced their way to Jerusalem. When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the ark began to slip off the wagon and Uzzah stretched out his hand to try to stop the ark from falling. Hashem perceived this as showing a lack of faith in the Arks ability to hold itself up, without the help of man. Hashem was quick to anger and struck down Uzzah and he died instantly. King David was upset with Hashem's anger toward Uzzah. He named that place Perez Uzzah or the Breach of Uzzah because that's where Hashem burst out against Uzzah. King David changed his plans to bring the Aron (Ark) to the City of David and he decided to deposit the Aron in the house of Oved Edom's the Gittite. The ark remained there for three months during which Hashem blessed Oved Edom and his entire family. When King David heard that the energy around the Ark had changed from bad to good he decided to try to bring the Ark to Jerusalem for a second time. David danced and clapped his hands with all his might and his men made many celebratory sacrifices and blew their shofars loudly. When King David arrived to the City of Jerusalem also known as the City of David his wife Michal (Israel's first King, Saul's Daughter) looked out of her window and when she saw that her husband was dancing like a crazy person and she disapproved of him behaving that way. She thought it was disrespectful for the King of Israel to behave that way. King David brought the Ark of Hashem to Jerusalem and set it in the tent he had prepared for it, where it would rest until it would be moved to the Bait Hamikdash. Then David offered sacrifices to Hashem. The Haftorah concludes with King David distributing many different kinds of foods to the people in attendance and blessed them before they went home.

The Haftorah's Connection between the Parasha and Haftorah : In Parashat Shemini it deals with the dedication of the Mishkan or Tabernacle. Similarly the Haftorah describes the ceremony of the bringing of the Aron or Ark to Yerushalaim, which was to come before the dedication of the Bait Hamikdash or Holy Temple. Haftorahman's Lesson of the week: When Uzzah reached over to prevent the ark from falling off the wagon and onto Nacon's threshing floor, Hashem killed him on the spot. It seems that Hashem dealt with him very strictly, as Hashem did in the case of Moses being punished and forbidden to enter the Land of Israel because he hit the rock instead of tapping it. Hashem has different expectations from each and every one of us. We cannot look around and say we are all rewarded and punished based on the same criteria. Hashem looks at each person as an individual. Hashem looks at where you came from, where you are at but most importantly Hashem looks at where you can go. He looks at your potential vs. your actual spiritual development. Hashem had a very high level of expectation from Moses. So from our perspective a simple thing like hitting a rock is no reason to keep one of the greatest spiritual giants that ever lived out of the land of Israel. How about ourselves? We may not be on the level of Moses or Uzzah but Hashem has spiritual expectations of us. Remember that a disappointment can only occur when an expectation is not met. Do you want to let Hashem down? No! So live up to you're potential and be spiritually ambitious. King David's Biography: David's father's name was Ishai, but his mother's name is unknown. His name means "beloved." He was a descendant of Ruth the Moabite. He was a shepherd and used to tend to flocks of sheep. He was a warrior, who killed lions with his bare hands and is famous for killing Goliath with a single slingshot. He was a musician that played music to calm Saul. (Former King of Israel, and David's father in law.) He was a faithful friend of Avshalom. Died when he was 70 years old. (David was supposed to be still born but Adam prophetically saw this and gave 70 of his 1000 years to David. Adam lived 930 years. He was an empire builder. A failed father. His son was King Solomon. He had 18 wives. Always felt cold from the time he cut a corner off of King Saul's robe. His name occurs more than a thousand times in the Tanach. He wrote Tehilim (Psalms) the most popular words worldwide used to pray. Brought the Holy Ark containing the two tablets that had the Ten commandments written on them. The Mashiach (messiah) will be a descendant of King David. He had red hair. He was a prophet. The "fourth" meal of (after) Shabbat is called the meal of David. David was told by G-d that he was going to pass away on Shabbat. He also knew that the angel of death couldn't get to you while your learning torah. So he would learn torah from the beginning to end of Shabbat and once Shabbat would end he would have a meal celebrating that he was going to make it one more week. Famous phrases by Isaiah: Poteach et yadecha u'masbeah lechol chai ve'ratzon. From Tehilim or Psalms 145:16 written by King David, also found in the prayer Ashrai, "You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing." It is our custom to hold our palms upward to the heavens when saying this prayer and to concentrate on Hashem "dropping" into our hands a blessing. Timeline: Our Haftora took place in the Jewish year of 2892 869 BCE about 2867 years ago. Just before the Building of the First Temple. The Haftorah begins in the city Kiryat Yeraim and concludes in Jerusalem.