Shul Announcements

May 9, 2015 20 Iyar, 5775 Omer Count: Day 35

Friday Night Mincha: 6:30 PM Shabbat Candle Lighting 7:44PM Morning Services: 9:00 AM Shabbat Mincha & Mussar – 7:35 PM Shabbat ends: 8:45PM

Emor

Page 672 (Torah)

Page 1176 (Haftarah)

May Birthdays & Anniversaries

May Birthdays: Aaron Chevinsky (2nd), Marisa Kwoczka (2nd), Hank London (2nd), Sharon Smith (2nd), Javid Hakakian (5th), Ariel Scheer (5th), Jonathan Bravman (6th), Debra Turitz (6

th), Paul

Manis (7th), Carl Rosen (8th), Pamela Gelbert (9

th),

Samantha Messer (9th), Steve Levy (10th), Beena

Levy (11th), Rich Rosenberg (11th), Bryce Zwickel (11

th), Heather Cohen (12

th), Judith Heistein (12

th),

Deborah Goldwasser (15th), Tamar Winters (15

th),

Etti Zeldis (16th), Paula Antin (17

th), Elana Winters

(17th), Jason Cohen (12

th), Henry Goldwasser

(18th), Sherry Pollack (18

th), Debby Brafman (20

th),

Emily Hanrahan (20th), Jeremy Weiss (20

th),

Allyssa Gresser (26th), Justin Shulman (26

th), Ryan

Winter (26th), Oritte Bendory (28

th), Rachel Brandt-

Greenfeld (28th), Sarah Dabah (28

th), Louise

Levine (28th), Yonaton Tammam (28

th), Shayna

Chevinsky (29th), Daniel Spielman (29

th), Daniel

Geary (30th), Andrew Hanrahan ( 30

th), Aaron

Nessel (31st), Zachary Nessel (31

st), Ron

Rubenstein (31st).

May Anniversaries: Richard & Fawn Zwickel (17

th), Jeff & Mimi Czeisler (20

th), Joel & Marla

Katz (25th), Alan & Jennifer Gellerstein (26

th),

Barry Ginsberg & Lauren Cooper (28th), Stuart &

Carol Kerievsky (28th), Rav Menashe & Donna

East (29th).

This Week: May 9: We-Drash – Geoff Lampel and Janet

Tammam give a duo-Drash for Parshat Emor

May 9: Jr Cong. 1030AM

May 9: April/May Combined Shared Kiddush,

contact the office to be a sponsor.

May 9: Shabbat Study with Jordan Mayor, 7:35PM May 10: Happy Mother’s Day

May 10: Talmud Study, 9AM

May 12: Hebrew School Open House – tell your

friends, 5-6PM

May 13: Meeting of the Board of Directors, 8PM

May 14: Torah Thursday, 10AM

Upcoming Events: May 16: Shabbat Chazak & Shabbat Mevarchim for Sivan

May 16: Brucha Haba’ah to our friend from Ofakim

May 16: Yom Yerushalayim Melavah Malka, details tbd…

May 17: Talmud Study, 9AM

May 17: Yom Yerushalayim cont…

May 19: Rosh Chodesh Sivan; Minyan @ GRTWA, 820AM

May 19: Last Day of Hebrew School; sign up for next year

May 20: MFJC Sisterhood Flower Power for Shavuos –

Synagogue Beautification – 7:30PM

May 23: Shavuot – sign up to teach a class for our late-night

learning; RSVP for a shul-made dinner; $20/person

May 25: Yizkor & Megillat Ruth – readers sign up…

May 26: NY Mets Israel Appreciation night, 710PM

May 31: Israel Day Parade, join the MFJC Banner, Details

tba

June 2: Interfaith Holocaust Memorial, MFJC, 730PM

June 7: Springtime Synagogue Spruce Up, 900AM

June 8: Annual General Meeting, 8PM

MFJC INFO ~ www.mtfjc.org Address: 1209 Sussex Tpk., Randolph 07869

Phone Numbers: Office: 973 895 2100 Rabbi: 973 895 2103; Rabbi’s Cell: 201 923 1107 Rabbi’s Office Hours: Mornings: Tues - Fri, 9-1PM; afternoons/evenings: 3-6PM; or anytime by appt Menashe East rabbi@mtfjc.org Office Hours: M-Th, 10- 5PM; F, 10-4PM David Paris office@mtfjc.org

Baruch Habah - Welcome to Yitzchak Woodage, one of the

Metrowest Rishonim

Mazel Tov to Jack & Phyllis Yacker

on the birth of their granddaughter,

Lily Julia Yacker! And Mazel Tov to

the happy parents Mark & Julia!

Mazel Tov to Charles & Bozena

Eckstein on the birth of their

grandson! And Mazel Tov to the

happy parents Mark & Etti Zeldis!

Mazel Tov and Thank You to the Sponsors & Chefs of this week’s:

April/May Combined Shared Kiddush!!!!

Thank You to our Shared Kiddush Sponsors!

Lori Bradin & Carl Rosen in honor of Sam Bradin’s and Carl Rosen’s and Daniel Geary’s Birthdays

Ron & Lillie Brandt in honor of Allyssa Gresser’s and Rachel Brandt-Greenfield’s Birthdays

Rav Menashe & Donna in honor of their Bar Mitzvah Anniversary

Paul & Ilana Fishbein in honor of their Anniversary and Ilana’s Birthday

Mark & Pam Gelbert in honor of Pam’s Birthday

Barry Ginsberg & Lauren Cooper in honor of their Anniversary and Brooke & Steven Orbuch’s Anniversary and Jonathan’s Birthday

Hana Kornblum in honor of Rebitzen Donna

Israel & Gloria Lieberman in blessed memory of Israel’s father, Morris Lieberman, on his yahrzeit

Gil & Jackie Mayor in blessed memory of Gil’s mother, Selma Mayor, on her yahrzeit

Lisa Monday in blessed memory of her mother, Sheila Mollen, on her yahrzeit

Craig & Sharon Nessel in honor of Aaron’s and Zachary’s Birthdays

Charlie & Sherry Pollack in honor of Sherry’s Birthday

David & Meryl Rehaut in honor of Meryl’s Birthday

Steven & Helen Schwartz in honor of Ethan Schwartz’s 3rd Birthday and Jonathan & Julie’s Anniversary

Joel Spielman & Leah Gruss in honor of Joel’s and Daniel’s Birthdays

Thank you to Aliza Bendory, Leah Gruss, Marilyn Lampel, Tara Lampel, Cindy Martin, Gerri Russo, Helen Schwartz and all the volunteers who

helped organize, cook and prepare our Shabbat Kiddush!

Flower Power

For

Shavuos

Sisterhood is calling all Women

to Help Decorate

the Sanctuary

Baum Hall- Wednesday May 20th 7:30pm

BYOV - bring your own vase for leftover flowers

RSVP –Audrey Silverberg

asilverberg@comcast.net

Celebrate Shavuot with Mt. Freedom Jewish Center

Festive Holiday Meal, All Night Study, Games for kids, Ice Cream and more!

May 23rd, 24th & 25th @ 1209 Sussex Turnpike

Randolph, NJ

Come for a Shul cooked Shavuot dinner, May 23rd $20pp and $15 for kids under 13. BYOB!

Saturday, May 23rd Monday, May 25th 8:30 PM Evening Services 8:58 Candle Lighting 9:00 AM Morning Services 9:00 PM Shul Cooked Dairy Dinner -- BYOB 10:30 AM Youth Aliyah @ Sinai/Bima 10:00 PM Let the Studying Begin! 11:00 AM YIZKOR 1st Session: Rabbi East leads the opening discussion 11:30 AM Reading of Ruth Followed by a variety of classes led by Congregants – sign up today!!! 5:00 PM Women’s Discussion of Ruth Treats all night long to feed your body while you nourish your soul! hosted by Donna East, 1 Nuko Terr 8:00 PM Afternoon Services 9:00 PM Yom Tov ends Sunday, May 24th 4:00 AM Early Morning Services 9:00 AM Regular Morning Services 11:00 AM Jewpardy & Ice Cream Party 7:00 PM Afternoon/Evening Services 8:59 PM Candle Lighting

Caregiver Support Group

Are you caring for a loved with Alzheimer’s or

Related Dementia Disease?

This group will offer:

Emotional and educational support

An opportunity to network with other caregivers

DATES: Last Thursday of the month - May 28, June 25, July 30,

August 27, September 24

TIME: 1:00 – 2:00 pm

LOCATION: Mt. Freedom Jewish Center 1209 Sussex Turnpike, Randolph, NJ

For more information about the Caregiver Support Group,

please call 973-765-9050

There is no charge for this program.

This group will be co-facilitated by:

Alyson Kaplan, LSW & Alexandra Nagy, LSW, Jewish Family Service of MetroWest

The Kedusha of Kohanim and Torah in the Bathroom

Parashat Emor opens with the prohibition against a Kohen coming into contact with a corpse, which would make him impure due to his specialkedusha, his priestly sanctity. Such impurity would compromise his kedushaand keep him out of the Temple. Even a Kohen with a physical blemish is barred from serving in the Temple: "Any man from your offspring, for all future generations, who has a blemish, may not draw near to offer up the food of his God" (Vayikra, 21:16).

There is, however, a significant difference between the Kohen who is tamei, impure,and the one who has a blemish. The one who is tamei is completely removed from the Sanctuary and all that occurs there. He may not enter the Temple or eat the sacrifices. In fact, according to the Talmud, if he was tameiduring the day when the sacrifice was offered, he cannot demand a portion to eat in the evening when he will be pure once again. In contrast, a Kohen who has a blemish is allowed in the Temple and has a right to his portion of the sacrifices: "The food of his God, from the holiest of sacrifices... he may eat" (Vayikra, 21:22). His blemish prevents him from serving, but it does not exclude him as a person.

According to the Gemara Zevachim (102b), there are actually three verses in the Torah which exclude the rights of a Kohen who is tamei to any portion of the sacrifices. Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon concludes that the Torah needed three separate verses to address three different types of sacrifices. What is unusual about his analysis is its narrative design: He imagines a Kohen who was a tevul yom, impure in the day and pure in the evening, and comes to demand a portion from a Kohen who worked that day. "You may be able to push me away in one type of sacrifice, but I should at least be entitled to a portion in this other type of sacrifice," he says. The other Kohen responds, "Just like I could push you away in the first case, I can push you away in the second case as well." The narrative ends with the tamei Kohen being denied any portion and walking away in utter defeat: "Thus the tevul yom departs, with his kal va'chomers [logical arguments] on his head, with the onen [one who has just suffered a death] on his right and the mechusar kippurim [one who lacks a korban to end his impurity] on his left.

R. Elazar ben R. Shimon's use of such a graphic narrative to make an analytic point underscores that we are dealing with more than intellectual mind games here. The human dimension is front and center: a person is being excluded. This is not just a question of ritual; it is one of rights and membership. In the end, this poor tevul yom and his fellow impure Kohanim are pushed out, and they walk away from the Temple with their heads down, despondent over their exclusion.

The Gemara, however, does not end the discussion of R. Elazar ben R. Shimon's analysis there. In what appears to be a total digression, the Gemara tells us that Rava reported that R. Elazar delivered his analysis while in the bathroom! The Gemara then questions how such a thing is possible.

Said Rava: "This law I learned from R. Elazar ben R. Shimon, which he said in the bathroom..."

But how might he [do this? Surely Rabbah bar bar Hanah said in Rabbi Yochanan's name: One may think [about Torah] in all places, except in a bathhouse and a bathroom? - It is different [when it is done] involuntarily."

WEEKLY PARSHA By Rabbi Dov Linzer, Rosh HaYeshiva and Dean

of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Parshat Emor | May 8, 2015 / 20 Iyar 5775

This exchange is not a mere digression. The possibility of Torah in the bathroom is introduced here to show the stark contrast between the Mikdashas the center of kedusha and Torah as the center of kedusha, that is, the difference between a Temple-based Judaism and a Torah-based Judaism.

When Mikdash is the primary locus of kedusha, access to that kedusha, is very limited; the Mikdash is only in one physical space and, as we have seen, true access is restricted to a very select group. Only male Kohanim can enter the inner parts of the Mikdash; only a male Kohen without a blemish can do the Temple service; and only a Kohen who is not tamei can eat the meat of the sacrifices. More than that, as R. Elazar's narrative illustrates, it makes no difference if a Kohen is only tamei temporarily or if he is blameless for his state of tumah. Regardless of how hard he argues, he is denied a portion; he is rejected and leaves despondent.

Not so in the case of Torah: Kohen or Yisrael, man or women, rich or poor, all have access. "Israel was crowned with three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship. The crown of priesthood was taken by Aharon... [But] the crown of Torah is sitting and waiting for all people; whoever wants to may come and take it" (Rambam, Laws of Torah Study, 3:1).

Even when attempts are made to push someone away - as Hillel was turned away because he did not have the fee to enter the beit midrash (Yoma 35b) - the Torah is still there waiting. If one is committed and perseveres one will get a portion in Torah and be allowed in. And impurity is no obstacle, for "the words of Torah are not susceptible to impurity" (Berachot 22a).

Torah is different from the Mikdash in another way as well. In addition to being accessible to all people, it can also be accessed in all places. The bathhouse and the bathroom are the only two places that Torah cannot be learned, and even these exclusions are not absolute. For as the Talmud tells us, if a person can't control his thinking he cannot be faulted for learning Torah in the bathroom! Unlike the tevul yom who is pushed away through no fault of his own, R. Elazar's statement is remembered, accepted, and passed down. Not only is he not to blame, but his Torah - even a Torah that emerged from the bathroom - remains pure and untainted.

Let us not forget that R. Elazar did more than just think Torah in the bathroom; he actually verbalized it and taught it to others. The Talmud's argument that "he could not control it" presumably means that he couldn't hold his thoughts in his head, and the only way he could stop thinking about it was to talk about it. For many of us, this would seem to be a serious affront to the words of Torah, and yet the teaching remains untainted. Truly, the words of Torah do not receive impurity! Such is the difference between the kedusha of the Torah and that of the Mikdash!

In thinking about our own communities and practices, we must consider whether we are guided by the Mikdash or the Torah model. There are undoubtedly certain instances in which the Mikdash paradigm would be appropriate, where we want to emphasize hierarchy and limited access to the holy. Even in such cases, we would be well-advised to remember the difference between the person who is tamei and the person who has a blemish. Tumah is a state inherently antithetical to the kedusha of the Mikdash. Some people may have certain character traits or behaviors that warrant a full exclusion, but external, nonessential issues - blemishes, disabilities, and other limitations - should never lead to a person's real or felt exclusion from the community. The Kohen with a blemish is not only able to eat the sacrifices, but he has full rights to them as well.

We, however, live in a post-Mikdash reality. We live in a religious world whose center is the Torah, not the Temple. This world, with its inclusivist and universalist ethos, is what should most define our practices and our community. This is a kedusha of universal access: All can get to it, and if they cannot, we must make it possible for them to do so. And it can get to all people, everywhere - in their synagogues, study halls, workplaces, and even in their bathrooms. And wherever it reaches, wherever it is learned, it will remain holy and connect us to the source of all that is holy.

Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom Parshat Emor (Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23)

Efrat, Israel – “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:32).

The portion of Emor opens with a strange commandment to the kohanim-priests of Israel: “And the Lord said to Moses,

‘Say to the priests children of Aaron, and tell them: “Do not defile yourselves by contact with the dead of the nation.”‘”

(Leviticus 21:1). The Bible then lists the exceptions to this rule. A Kohen may defile himself only for the burial of his

wife, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother and his unmarried sister.

Judaism is not chiefly concerned with death and the hereafter; rather, it is principally engaged with life in the here-and-

now. Our major religious imperative is not how to ease the transition from this world to the next, but how to improve and

repair our own society. What does seem strange, however, is that our same portion goes on to command (as quoted

above): “You shall not desecrate the name of my holiness; I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel”

(Lev. 22:32).

Our Talmudic sages derive from this verse the necessity of sacrificing one’s life-sanctifying the name of God-for the

sake of the commandments of the Bible. Jews must give up their lives rather than transgress any of the three major

prohibitions of murder, sexual immorality or adultery; in times of persecution, Jews must die rather than publicly

transgress even the simplest or most “minor” of Jewish laws, even a Jewish custom involving our shoelaces (B.T.

Sanhedrin 74a,b). Our Talmudic Sages insist, however, that when Jews are not being persecuted, it is forbidden for Jews

to forfeit their lives in order not to desecrate Shabbat, far better that they desecrate one Shabbat and remain alive to keep

many Shabbatot. Then why command martyrdom at all? And the sad truth is that our history is filled with many sacred

martyrs who gave up their lives in sanctification of the Divine Name.

The answer lies in the very juxtaposition of the law of priestly defilement emphasizing the importance of life, and the

law of martyrdom enjoining death, within that same biblical portion. Yes, preservation of life is crucial and this world is

the focus of the Jewish concern-but not life merely for the sake of breathing. Living, and not merely existing, means

devoting one’s life to ideals and values that are more important than any individual life. We participate in eternity by

dedicating our lives to the eternal values that will eventually repair the world and establish a more perfect society.

Hence we must value and elevate life, but always within the perspective of those principles which will lead us to

redemption. Yes, “live by these [My laws],” but eternal life can only be achieved by a dedication which includes the

willingness to sanctify God’s name with martyrdom, albeit only under very extreme circumstances.

But how can we justify martyrdom, even if only during periods of persecution, for the sake of a Jewish custom regarding

our shoelaces? What can there possibly be about a shoelace which strikes at the heart and essence of our Jewish mission?

The Talmudic commentary of the French and German sages of the 11th and 12th centuries, when many Jews were

martyred by the Crusaders, suggest that the general custom in Rome and its numerous colonies during the second century

was to wear white shoelaces. Jews, however, wore black shoelaces, as a memorial to the loss of our Holy Temple and the

disappearance of Jewish national sovereignty. When Gentiles in times of persecution attempted to force Jews to wear

white shoelaces-and thereby force the Jewish community to cease mourning for the loss of our national homeland-the

Jew must respond with martyrdom (B.T. Sanhedrin 74b, Tosafot ad loc.).

My revered teacher Rav Joseph B. Solovetchik added a crucial point: There are many Jewish laws, decrees and customs

which have developed from biblical times to the present, which Jews themselves do not always realize are truly vital for

our national and religious preservation. The Gentiles, on the other hand, always do, because they-wishing to persecute

and destroy us-strike at the jugular. Hence whatever they insist that we abandon, we must maintain even at the price of

our lives! From this perspective, it becomes easier to understand why anti-Semitism expresses itself in unfair attacks on

the free and democratic State of Israel, condemning us while championing the cause of our non-democratic enemies; we

must focus on how crucial and vital the State of Israel is for Jewish survival today.

The memorials of Holocaust Remembrance Day and Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars quickly followed

by Independence Day and Jerusalem Day must remind us that Israel is not merely a destination but is our destiny. Israel

is not only the place of our survival, but it is the heart of our mission for world salvation, from whence the word of God-

a God of life, love and peace-will spread to all of humanity.

Shabbat Shalom

Stop Asking

Our Torah reading this Shabbat, Emor, returns to the iconic Jewish symbol - the Menorah. In the book of Exodus, as the Tabernacle is designed and erected, Moshe and Aaron were given instruction to permanently keep the Menorah kindled. Here, we find a repeat of that directive: “Command the people of Israel, that they bring to you pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.” (Lev 24:2) Why does the Torah seem to repeat itself?

Nachmanides suggests a distinction between the original command in Exodus and this command. Originally, the tribal princes brought their gifts to the Temple to be used in the service of the God. Among their gifts, they brought pure olive oil for kindling. But now, in Leviticus, God must return to the issue of securing kindling oil when the princes’ oil gift is consumed. How would they replace the oil once it had been fully consumed? Here, the Torah gives us the answer: Instead of the princes continually refilling the oil for kindling, the oil would have to be replaced by the community. (See Ramban, Lev, 24:2)

Securing the menorah kindling is a call to the people to engage with generosity. It is interesting because this type of request is different than the past requests. At the outset of its design, the very construction of the Tabernacle was made possible by civic involvement; the people donated all the raw materials. God requested everyone with a ‘giving heart’ to contribute. This was not a tax; contributions to the Tabernacle were voluntary. Yet, as the Torah later describes, the people were so generous with their gifts that they needed to be stopped for giving.

These are the two spirits of giving, two different types of appeal, the community encourages. And it is this spirit of giving that communities need to call upon today as well. Particularly now, more than ever before, the insular, tight-knit, Jewish community is fraying. We are more than ever reliant on communal engagement and generosity for community health. This is the irony and challenge of Jewish communal life today: We live in an open door Jewish community –people are welcomed to enter, but will also freely, easily leave. A decentralized community has no authority to proscribe engagement – the loosely affiliated Jew is skittish and easily frightened away by the demands of continuity. On the other hand, a soft-spoken appeal to Jewish communal continuity works only on the initiated, the ones who get it. What does a community do?

Asking is not engaging. Communities must initiate before asking. For much of communal life, this is the challenge of balance: we ask in a forceful way that scares people off or we ask in a way that is so gentle that it’s easy to ignore. Let’s stop asking. First, the Jews went free from Egypt. Then they received the Torah and then they built a Tabernacle. We must first nurture something precious inside of us before we devote our time, resources and energy to building a home for it.

Shabbat Shalom Umevorach Rabbi Menashe East