This Shabbos, David Schlesinger led discussion. We discussed the week’s Parsha Emor, including Rav Yeager’s commentary. In the Parsha, there is discussion of our festivals and holidays, and a reminder to observe Shabbos. We discussed that we beginning counting the Omer on the second day of Pesach, and that on the 50th day we observe the holiday of Shavuos, which commemorates the day we received the Torah. We discussed how Shavuos can occur on any day of the week, including Shabbos, where as the other holidays are more restricted as to what day in which they can occur.
We discussed how in the past we would signal each other the beginning of the new month by lighting fires on the tops of mountains. Later in history, we would use messengers to go from village to village. This system was not perfect, and there would often be some mistakes here and there. These mistakes led to our current practice outside of Israel of observing Yom Tov for 2 days in order to ensure that we do it on the correct date.
We had some interesting discussion of the differences between Yom Tov and Shabbos. On Yom Tov we are usually allowed to cook, because the focus on the holiday is the relationship and connectivity between ourselves. If more people show up than we expect, we can cook more food. On Shabbos, we are not allowed to cook, as the focus on this day is our relationship and connectivity between ourselves and Hashem. We want to try as much as possible to get outside of the material world, and get a spiritual perception of things. This is true for both Yom Tov and Shabbos. If Yom Tov falls on a Shabbos, we go with the more restrictive halakah of not being allowed to cook.
We discussed how during the week, on days that are not Shabbos or Yom Tov, it is not only permitted to engage in the physical and material world, but it is good and desirable to do so. It is considered good that we have to work and make a living and help finish the act of creation that Hashem started. On Shabbos and Yom Tov we take a break from this, so that we do not get too absorbed in materiality and can get a spiritual perspective on things.
We discussed some of the other topics from the Parsha. It is not permitted to remarry someone, if there has been a new marriage in between. A Kohen is not permitted to marry any divorcee. This is because of the special role of the Kohen in promoting harmony. We also discussed from the parsha, the great Kiddush Hashem that some have done, by being willing to sacrifice their life rather than submit to others.
This Shabbos we discussed some of the agreements that have been broken against the Jews. We have been oppressed beyond what is acceptable, and it is not us who first broke our contract. We discussed how we first offered to live peacefully, but how this was simply viewed as weakness, and we were attacked. We discussed how in contract law, if one side breaks an agreement, the other side may have the right to do so as well.
We discussed the upcoming holiday of Yom Ha’atzmaut. It is a great mitzvah to live in Israel. We discussed how close we are to having the majority of the world’s Jews living in Israel. It is considered a greater mitzvah to live in a town in Israel with just a few Jews, than to live in a town outside of Israel, such as Muncy which has a large Jewish population. If we do not live in Israel, visiting Israel, is also a great mitzvah. We discussed the great mitzvah that many Jews do, by going to Israel and serving in the armed forces.
This is a summary of what we discussed this past Shabbos. No Halachic rulings are intended or should be inferred.
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