This week’s parsha, Parshat Shemini, discusses the laws of which animals are kosher to eat.

We go from animals where we are told that any-thing that chews its cud and has split hooves is great! And we can eat it! Afterwards we are told that for � sh, as long as it has � ns and scales, it’s permissible for us to eat.

� ird, we get onto birds, and if we were to fol-low the pattern of two signs and we’re great, we are going to mess up miserably. So what are we told when it comes to birds? We are given a list of non-kosher birds, birds we are told we can-not eat, meaning most birds are actually kosher. According to “Birding.com” (I guess it’s a fairly reputable website?) there are over 10,000 species of birds in the world. � ere are about 20 di� erent types of birds listed as non-kosher, so even if they encompass multiple types, there’s no way those 20 types are even close to the over 10,000 species out there. So why are we only eating a small subset of the birds? Because we don’t know what all of the 20 types are. We may have the Hebrew, but since we have been in Exile, we are at a loss to be sure of what every single bird listed is (Shulchan Aruch).

Last, we reach bugs. Four-legged walking-bugs are a no-no. But some four-legged bugs that � y are � ne - if they have jumping legs above their legs (sounds like a kangaroo bug?). So why aren’t we eating any bugs now (aside from the fact that they don’t sound super appetizing - at least to me)? Rashi explains that we are only allowed to eat bugs if we have a speci� c tradition that allows us to eat speci� c bugs (so basically, Moroc-

You’re almost done! Hang in there!

Spring 2012, Issue 8 • Parshat Shemini • April 20, 2012 • 29 Nissan 5772

“Mesorah Mag is my favorite newspaper.” Andrew Getraer, Executive Director of Rutgers Hillel

Kashrut... Birds of a Feather... & Bugs....by Martelle Spiewak

In this issue . . .

Dvar Torah: Pages 1, 2 Parshah Points: Page 3

Calendar: Page 4

Schedule of Times

Shabbat Morning: 9:30 am

S”Z Kriat Shma: 9:33 amLunch @ Weiss’:

Leaving Hillel @ 12:30Mincha: 7:30 pm

Shabbat ends: 8:27 pm

Weekdays

Shacharit & Breakfast: 8:15 am

Mincha/Ma’ariv:7:30 pm

Next FridayCandlelighting: 7:31 pm

Friday Evening Prayers: 6:30 pm

cont on 2.

A big day was coming. And it wasn’t the Super Bowl (al-

though I would hardly consider that an important day). � is great day, from which we derive the name of the parsha, was the eighth day, the climax, of the inauguration ceremony during

which the Mishkan was permanently erected and the Koha-nim took on a new role. My uncle, Rabbi Joel Finkelstein, would even go so far as to say that it is the highlight of the whole Torah. But why eight?

Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks explains that the world was created in seven days. According to the Sages, the eighth day was when G-d showed the � rst humans how to make light. If we juxtapose this with the � rst day of creation, when G-d gave the explicit command for there to be light, then we

can see that on the � rst day G-d is the One making all of the moves, but by the eighth, He entrusts some of that responsibility to humans, allowing them to create their own light. Going back to our parsha, we can see that G-d is now giving the Is-raelites more responsibility by having them erect the Mishkan. He lit the light in the Israelites’ souls, and taught them what to do, and now it was time for them to put what they learned into action.

Most people reading this are probably Rutgers students, like myself. We too have a chal-lenge not unlike the Israelites’. � e similarity is two-fold: � rstly, our parents raised us under their wings giving us guidance and inspiration for life (hopefully). But now we are in college, with much less parental supervision, and the choice to continue practicing Judaism is more of our own. Our parents lit our internal “light,” and now we can use it on our own. Secondly, we learn much in all of our classes at college. However, we often do not apply what we have learned in class to our everyday lives. When we combine the Torah values with which many of us grew up with the application of the ideas that we learn in class, we will certainly live more ful� lling lives. Good Shabbos.

A Personal Temple

by Evan Finkelstein

cans and Yemenite Jews who have kept this tradition are allowed to eat the bugs; the rest of us, not so much).

Who knew that random things about kashrut would be so interesting? And how many things we could learn about animals? I would have thought that there would be more rules on larger animals than smaller animals, but in actuality the smallest animal, the bug has the strictest rules (very few people can eat any) and the bigger animals are just given two.

Have a delicious Shabbos!

First Aliyah - All Jews gather to watch HaShem settle on the Mishkan.

Second Aliyah - Aharon blesses Bnei Yisrael with the priestly blessing and HaShem settles on the Mishkan.

� ird Aliyah - During the inauguration of the Mishkan, two of Aharon’s sons die while o� ering an incense o� ering. � e re-maining three priests are told not to mourn and they are taught rules about sacri� cial o� erings.

Fourth Aliyah - HaShem continues instructing the priests about sacri� ces.

Fifth Aliyah - Moshe asks Aharon why one of the sacri� ces is not given as expected. Aharon explains and Moshe accepts Aharon’s answer.

Sixth Aliyah - HaShem explains which mammals are kosher -- those that chew their cud and have split hooves; which � sh are kosher -- those that have � ns and scales; and which birds are kosher -- those that are not mentioned.

Seventh Aliyah - HaShem explains how vessels can become impure and how we can stay holy by eating kosher food.

Haftorah - David determines that King Saul wants to kill him. Jonathan, David’s son, helps David � ee and they depart with a promise that they will eternally remain friends.

Editor - in -Chief: Miriam Leichtman

Layout Editor: Jeff Rabinowitz

Events Editor:Talia Friedman

Contributing Writers: Martelle Spiewak,Evan Finkelstein

Want to write for us? Sign up after Havdalah

in the Hillel lobby.

You can reach us at:Mesorahmag@gmail.com

Parshah Pointsby Gila Cohen

April 21:Yael Novick

April 24:Josh Block

Emily SchwartzBrian Jungreis

April 25:Josh Levy

Aviva ShapiroApril 27:

Elana Resnick

Birthdays!

Want the eruv to be UP?� en help check it!

Speak with Andrew Cohen or Sam Kaplan to discuss how you can

get involved!

Mesorah CalendarSunday � e Image of the Shtetl in Israeli Society -- 7:00 pm @ Hillel

Mr. Hillel -- 7:30 pm @ Rutgers Student Center Multi-Purpose RoomSouper Sunday Night Learning -- 8:30 pm @ 76 Je� erson St.

Monday Israel Fest Kicko� -- 11:30 am @ Brower StepsWhat’s Brewin’ -- 9:30 pm @ ABP

Tuesday Israel Fest Real Israelis -- 4:00 pm @ HillelMen’s Shiur w/ R’ Lewis -- 7:30 pm @ TBDMiri Cohen’s Women’s Shiur -- 9:00 pm @ TBDYom HaZikaron -- 9:15 pm @ Hillel

Wednesday Te� lla Chagigit -- 7:00 pm @ HillelJewish Community Council Meeting -- 8:00 pm @ HillelBirthright Orientation -- 9:00 pm @ HillelShiur & Beer -- 9:30 pm @ location TBD

� ursday Israel Fest Mega Celebration -- 11:00 am @ Rutgers Student CenterMishmar w/ Rabbi Weill -- 8:00 pm @ HillelStudy with a Buddy -- 9:00 pm @ Hillel 3rd Floor

Get Psyched Up!Next week is the Mesorah AwardsBanquet alternative Shabbat dinner at

Hillel, and Festive Tisch at the Weiss’!

Something Relatively Easy for Us to Work on to Bring Moshiach

� e following was related to Rabbi Uri Silver by Rebbitzin Wolbe on February 29th, 2012. � ree months earlier Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe (author of the Alei Shor and the leading Moshgiach of the last generation) appeared in a dream to his granddaughter. He was very excited and animated - which she mentioned was uncharacteristic of Rav Wolbe, who al-ways spoke in a very controlled and mea-sured manner. He was speaking very quickly and was looking upwards (also uncharacteris-tic of him) and he said that Mashiach is ready to come, if people would be, “...[c]oncerned for their friends like they are concerned for

themselves.” -- submitted by Scott Silver