ADAR @ Mickey D's!!!!!

* Maybe the sign should say rarely or usually not Kosher....who knows!?
**Click on the Title for more info on Adar!

Torah from Benjy's Room

While snooping around my little brothers room today I found the following piece of Torah.

Shemos 38:21 "These are the accounts of the Mishkan"

After reading through the beginning of this past weeks Parsha, you will read something rather peculiar. Why did Moshe only render detailed accounting for the silver? Didn't people also donate gold and copper?

R' Yonason Eibeshutz answers that Moshe specifically had to count the silver because the gold was derived from voluntary donations while the silver consisted of half shekels that every Jew had to bring. Moshe felt that some people who had made the obligatory donation may have been skeptical and therefore demand an exact accounting of what had been done with their money, but generous individuals who had made voluntary donations of gold would not be so petty as to insist on such a report.

MiShnichnas Adar Marbim BiSimcha

It says in the Shulchan Aruch ( Siman 686 Sif 3 M"B S"K 8) "MiShenichnas Adar Marbim BiSimcha" "When Adar starts everyone should be overtaken with happiness".

It is therefore a mitzvah to be overcome with joy during this month. We should feel this wholeheartedly both through our feelings and our actions. There are those that even go so far as to say that the month of Nisan also carries with it this obligation to be overcome with joy. The reason for this is because miracles happened for Klal Yisrael during both of these months.

The most common practice in Jewish communities is to hang up signs that say Mi Shenichnas Adar Marbim BiSimcha". Some however, make a point of placing this sign directly on top (covering) of the heker that they have in their house to remember the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. We do this specifically to make it known that this is not a time to be downtrodden but it is a time to be truly happy.

GUT CHODESH!

Parshas Pekudei - "Living With G-d"

FUNFACT/ QUICKIE: Shemos 38:21 "These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony, which we counted at the word of Moses; the work of the Levites in the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the Kohen"

Why did Moshe Rabbeinu have to do these accountings? Why wasn't he believed by everyone that all of the money that was given to him was going to be used for the Mishkan?

Rav Baruch Simon answers in his sefer Imrei Baruch that Moshe knew that there were going to be scoffers, he therefore felt that if he wanted to be trusted by Klal Yisrael as their leader he had the responsibility to show them where each and everyone of their charitable donations had been allotted within the building of the Mishkan. Moshe felt that it was his responsibility as a role model for generations to come to exemplify the pasuk, (Bamidbar 32:22) "And you shall be clean amongst Hashem and Israel"

The Mishkan (Tabernacle) as we know it, is the place within the camp of Israel in which G-d dwelled (Mishkan = Shachen). This being the case, it was a common practice that many members of Klal Yisrael would come and bring offerings there to the Ribbono Shel Olam. Seemingly however the Mishkan was only effective as G-d's dwelling place only so long as the Luchos (Tablets) were there. Why is that?

The Ohr Hachaim HaKadosh along with many other commentators answers that the Mishkan was only effective as G-d's dwelling place so long as the tablets were there. This was because the Luchos were all encompassing. They featured the commandments that were between man and the divine as well as between man and man.

In order for the Shechina to dwell amongst Klal Yisrael it was/is imperative for both of these ideas to be together. There had to be a firm understanding amongst the people that they did not only have a religious responsibility to the Lord, but that they also had a responsibility to mankind. This is exemplified in the passage, (Bamidbar 32:22) "And you shall be clean amongst Hashem and Israel". When there was no Aron with the tablets inside of it there was no true judge of the Mishkan. If Klal Yisrael did not truly understand the difference between Bein Adam Lichaveiro and Bein Adam Limakom then there was no place for the Shechina to dwell there.

It is said in Meseches Shavuos 30a that it is important that everyone judge their friends virtuously. In addition it says in Meseches Avos (1:6) and in the Torah (Vaykira 19:16) that we must be "Dan Likaf Zechus". Meaning that if we see one of our friends doing something openly that may seem in our minds to be abominable both religiously and personally, it is our responsibility to analyze the situation fully and come to a positive conclusion that places our friend in a meritorious light.

The Mishkan, with the Luchos inside, was symbolic of Klal Yisrael's dedication to valuing their relationship with both G-d and mankind. This can be shown through the pasuk, "And you shall be clean amongst Hashem and Israel" nevertheless even if one person amongst us makes a mistake, the Torah also tells us that we have to be give them the benefit of the doubt and be "Dan LiKaf Zechus".

Many of G-d's commandments regarding the building of the Mishkan seemed meaningless and sometimes strange. Nevertheless after looking deeper and using the two concepts that are learned from Shavuos 30a (it is everyone's responsibilities to judge their friends virtuously) and Avos 1:6 (giving everyone the benefit of the doubt) the Mishkan made a lot more sense.

HAVE A FANTASTIC SHABBOS AND A GUT CHODESH

MiShEnIcHnAs aDaR MaRbIm BiSiMcHa!

Acheinu - Mercaz Harav

Today, R"L, there was a terrorist attack on Yeshivat Mercaz Harav which is located at the entrance of Yerushalayim. The Torah of Yeshivat Mercaz Harav has most definately touched each and everyone of us in a special way. May our Tefillos and Talmud Torah be Liilui Nishmas those who perished in the attack and for the speedy Refua Sheleima of those who were injured.

Our hearts go out to those who lost family members in the attack, "Hamakom Yinaschem mitoch aveilei tziyom biYerushalayim". "May Hashem, who is everywhere, comfort you amongst the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem".

Unfortunately it takes times like these to remind us that Acheinu Kol Beis Yisroel....

Please say the following piece of Tehillim for those who are critically wounded:

* פרק קל
א שִׁיר הַֽמַּֽעֲלוֹת מִמַּֽעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְהֹוָֽה
: ב אֲדֹנָי שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי תִּהְיֶינָה אָזְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁבוֹת לְקוֹל תַּֽחֲנוּנָֽי
: ג אִם־עֲוֹנוֹת תִּֽשְׁמָר־יָהּ אֲדֹנָי מִי יַֽעֲמֹֽד
: ד כִּי־עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵֽא
: ה קִוִּיתִי יְהֹוָה קִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי וְֽלִדְבָרוֹ הוֹחָֽלְתִּי
: ו נַפְשִׁי לַֽאדֹנָי מִשֹּׁמְרִים לַבֹּקֶר שֹׁמְרִים לַבֹּֽקֶר
: ז יַחֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוָה כִּֽי־עִם־יְהֹוָה הַחֶסֶד וְהַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדֽוּת
: ח וְהוּא יִפְדֶּה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּל עֲוֹנֹתָֽיו

HAMAPIL: The Night Time Prayer

Imagine the scene, after a rough day at work you put your kids to bed, after returning to your room and reciting the hamapil prayer, your child begins to cry insistently. You jump out of bed and turn on the lights. Running to the childs room you realize that you had already said HAMAPIL!

Are you allowed to sing your child back to sleep? Can you verbally bribe your child child to sleep?

Unfortunately there is little to no time to think about the Halacha, what do you do?

Although the act of sleep is sometimes involuntary, the laws that surround it and the prayer that must be said beforehand require a deeper analysis.

The major requirement of the recitation of Shma at night, before going to sleep, is the act of saying the blessing of Hamapil.

The Mishna Brura (239:3) while quoting the Seder Hayom (order of the day) says that one is supposed to recite Hamapil during the final seconds before closing his/her eyes at night.

Although we do not rule in accordance with this opinion we do try to say hamapil as close to this time as possible. In the best case scenario a person should try to prepare accordingly so there is little to no interruptions between the recitations of Hamapil and sleep itself.

Unfortunately for some, sleep only comes after hours of tossing and turning!

How should these people appropriate the blessing of Hamapil, while distancing themselves from a hefsek?

Halacha dictates that if one forgot to daven Ma’ariv, say Bracha Achrona, or count Sefiras HaOmer, at night and mistakenly said Hamapil he can recite whatever Tefillah or Bracha that he missed and does not have to worry even though he already said Hamapil.

Based on this many contemporary Poskim come to the following Halachik conclusion: One who uses the bathroom after saying Hamapil says an Asher Yatzar afterward or if he/she hears lightening then the appropriate bracha most definitely should be said.

(As an aside, if one needs to say Hamapil in another place aside from his/her bed then it is permissible, being that we do not care about shinui makom (change of location) by this particular bracha.

Being that all of the above is allowed to be preformed after saying Hama’apil, there is almost no excuse that could excuse a person from saying krias shema at night.

There are still those however (Tos. Brachos 11b) who say that regardless of all that we have said above, one may say hamapil and continue with his night as he pleases. Tosafos comes to this conclusion by explaining the mizvah of Sukkah. When one eats in a Sukka he has a mitzvah to say a bracha of “Leishev Basukka”, why is it that when one sleeps in the Sukkah he does not have the similar mitzvah to recite a “Lishan Basukkah”?

Tosafos answers that because of the possibility of rainfall one might recite the bracha and then go inside to sleep. Some Poskim use this Tosafos as a proof for it being permissible for one to talk after reciting Hamapil.

Hopefully now after knowing a few of the sources about Hamapil you will be able to come to an educated decision about how to properly prepare for sleep at night.

*Please speak to your Rav before putting any of the Halachik ideas that are discussed above into practice.

*Click on the Title of this post to have a better understanding of what defines being "asleep".

Maybe We Can be like Moses

Check out this article that was written by R' Gil Student on his blog, Hirhurim - Musings. It is an interesting piece about the level to which we should judge ourselves and others.

After reading the article I recommend actually seeing the Gemara Yoma 35b (a Gemara that he quotes) in the text, it gives you more of a perspective.

I would be remiss if I forgot to tell you to check out the Gemara Rosh HaShana 15a.....the Gemara is pretty clear about the pro's and con's within the chapter of judging others aswell. It's a good one not to forget.

G-d Willing I will be writing up a few more pieces soon. Thank you for your patience.