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< Devar‎ | 5770
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{{header|Ki Tisa 5770|כי תישא תש"ע}}
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{{bheader|Mar 5th|Devar/5770/Ki_Tisa}}  
  
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Hi again!
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{{pasuqh|וְעָשִׂיתָ כִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת, וְכַנּוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת -- לרָחְצָה; וְנָתַתָּ אֹתוֹ, בֵּין-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבֵין הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְנָתַתָּ שָׁמָּה, מָיִם.<br>וְרָחֲצוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו, מִמֶּנּוּ, אֶת-יְדֵיהֶם, וְאֶת-רַגְלֵיהֶם.  |p/pt/pt0230.htm#18|שמות ל:יח,יט}}
 
  
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{{heb|הכיור שימש לרחצה של ידיהם ורגליהם של הכוהנים לפני שניגשו לעבודתם במקדש.  ככתוב: '''בְּבֹאָם אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, יִרְחֲצוּ-מַיִם -- וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt0230.htm#20|שם כ}}. }}
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It rained furiously all this past ''shabbat'', much to our astonished joy.  The rain continued into the beginning of this week, so that ''Purim'' was very wet.  That's ok, because it's not like we were planning on taking long hikes on ''Purim''. Instead we went to our friends house, where we (and two other couples) had one of the most enjoyable ''Purim'' meals we can recall.  
  
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{{heb|הרחצה הזאת -- לא כדי להסיר לכלוך הייתה, אלא להסיר טומאה.  בבוקר לפני התחלת העבודה במקדש "קידשו" את ידיהם ורגליהם.  אבל משך היום לא עשו כן אלא אם אירע להם טומאה, או הסיחו את דעתם מידיהם. '''אֵין הַכּוֹהֵן צָרִיךְ לְקַדַּשׁ בֵּין כָּל עֲבוֹדָה וַעֲבוֹדָה, אֵלָא פַּעַם אַחַת מְקַדֵּשׁ בַּבֹּקֶר וְעוֹבֵד וְהוֹלֵךְ כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה: וְהוּא -- שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְלֹא יִישַׁן, וְלֹא יַטִּיל מַיִם, וְלֹא יַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ; וְאִם עָשָׂה אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּעְתָּן, צָרִיךְ לַחְזֹר וּלְקַדַּשׁ'''  {{hcite|i/8305n.htm#3|הל' ביאת המקדש ה:ג}}.    }}
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Last week we mentioned the official Israeli Gov't website announcing "fish winds", and we laughed at it.  It's not funny [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7345574/Australian-town-326-miles-from-river-hit-by-raining-fish.html when it really happens] -- or is it?
  
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{{heb|הכיור של הפסוק שלנו, מצווה לקדש ממנה לעבודה -- אבל אם קידש מאחד מכלי השרת, אך לא קידש מן הכיור, עבודתו כשרה.  אם כן, מה הוא זה שכתוב '''וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ'''?  שהכוהן שעובד בלא קידוש ידיים ורגליים תחילה ראוי למיתה בידי שמיים. והכיור למה לי?  }}
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Sarah's ticket to visit her family in Argentina this summer is reserved.  Now she needs to get her passport in order.  Esther, Daniela and I will be sure to "live it up" while she's off in the Southern Hemisphere.
  
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{{heb|התורה רוצה לומר לנו שמי שרוצה לעלות בקדושה, יכין את כליו (ועצמו!) להיות מוכנים לשרת את השם יתברך שמו. אינו דומה זה שעושה מצווה כאשר מזדמן לו, לזה שמכוון את דרכו תמיד לפגוע במצוות ולעשותם בכוונה.  אע"פ ששניהם ביצעו מצווה, לזה האחרון שכר מעולה יותר, כי כבש את יצרו הרע וכיוון עצמו לקראת אלוהיו. '''הִכּוֹן לִקְרַאת-אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1504.htm#12|עמוס ד:יב}}. }}
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Al Gore (former Vice President of the US, currently making a fortune from global-warming related industries) received an [http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/02/27/1924221/Unfriendly-Climate-Greets-Gore-At-Apple-Meeting inconvenient reception] at Apple's shareholder meeting this week.  Some of you have expressed the opinion that since I am not {{wiki2|Jonestown|drinking the AGW kool-aid}} I must necessarily be anti-anything-green.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  In fact, I think one of the biggest (truly) man-made problems is pollution. Having lived for twenty or so years in the Pacific Northwest (of the USA), we have absorbed a lot of the ecologically friendly habits of that region.  But I digress. The Obamanator has given a green-light to refunding nuclear power plants -- which if properly done can be a good thing overall (and if {{wiki2|Chernobyl_disaster|done improperly}}, not so good).  But a team at Caltech has come up with [http://media.caltech.edu/press_releases/13325 extremely efficient solar cells], which really does have the ability to revolutionize energy production in large parts of the world.  Very cool stuff.
  
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{{english}}
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Who said the Golden Age of Greece is over?  This week, we learned from the Greeks that [http://article.nationalreview.com/426405/when-responsibility-doesnt-pay/mark-steyn responsibility doesn't pay].  At least it doesn't if they can get the rest of the EU to pay for their little fling with ludicrous social benefits.  The geniuses in Dubai will now [http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=169933 screen incoming tourists and reject Israelies] -- based on "the way they look or talk".  Hmm.  Imagine the furor if, say, the US were to block idiots from Dubai by forcing them to take an intelligence test before entry?  Not to be outdone, the Australian Federal Police officers sent to Israel to investigate the misuse of Australian passports were [http://muqata.blogspot.com/2010/03/aussie-hit-and-run-squad-arrives-in.html involved in a hit-and-run].  Not to worry, we'll give their pictures and passport numbers to Interpol.
  
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{{pasuq|'Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, whereat to wash; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.<br>And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat. |p/pt/pt0230.htm#18|Ex 30:18,19}}
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There's a long-standing joke that the way to make a small fortune in Israel is to bring a large fortune.  While there is some truth to that, it is nevertheless possible to make [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/136211 financially successful aliyah] if one makes the effort. Though you will probably make less money than you did when you had a job in the US (are there many of you left?), you will have the opportunity to perhaps reshape your life in a more meaningful direction and live where your forefathers could only pray about living.
  
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The "laver" was used by the Cohanim to wash their hands and feet prior to their entering the Temple to perform their duties, as it is written: '''When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt0230.htm#20|ibid 20}}.
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Odds and ends:
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* Live footage of the Dubai [http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/page/asshat-22713.jpg immigration police] at work
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* Watch [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_URINE_ELECTROCUTION?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US where you wee]!
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* Britain [http://www.sott.net/articles/show/203685-Weaponizing-Mozart-How-Britain-is-using-classical-music-as-a-form-of-social-control weaponizes Mozart].  Shades of {{wiki|A Clockwork Orange}}?
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* Who said the Saudis [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3857688,00.html have no sense of humor]?
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* Super surprise visitor [http://muqata.blogspot.com/2010/03/surprise-visitor-drops-in-at-kotel.html at the "Western Wall"]
  
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These ablutions were not performed in order to cleanse them of filth, but to remove ritual impurity.  In the morning before commencing the services in the Temple, they "sanctified" their hands and feet.  But during the day they did not do so unless their hands happened to become ritually impure or if they became distracted from their hands.  '''A Cohen does not need to sanctify [his hands] between each service, rather he sanctifies them just once in the morning, and then he may perform the services all day and all night.  This is only if he did not leave the Temple, and did not sleep, and did not urinate, and did not distract his mind from his hands; but if one of these four happened to him, he must re-sanctify his hands''' {{hcite|i/8305n.htm#3|Laws of Approaching the Temple 5:3}}.
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Alas! Once again, no guests for ''shabbat''.  This week's menu includes: Esther's grandmother's roast chicken, cauliflower soup, crispy sticky-wings, hot-dogs, potato salad, ''salatim'', a new kind of Hallah, homemade mandarin sorbet (from our own {{wiki2|Mandarin_orange|mandarin tree}}!).  
  
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There is a commandment to sanctify from the "laver" mentioned in our verse -- but if he sanctified from one of the other Temple vessels, even though he didn't use the laver, his service is proper.  If that is so, what does the Torah mean by '''that they die not'''?  That is to tell us that the Cohen who performed the service without having sanctified his hands and feet initially, is liable for a Heavenly death-sentence.  But then what do we need the "laver" for?
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Until next week,<br>
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Shabbat shalom!<br>
  
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The Torah is telling us that one who wishes to rise in holiness, should prepare his vessels (and himself!) so they are ready to serve God, may His name be blessed.  There is no comparison between the one who performs a commandment as it happens upon him, and the one who constantly prepares himself and directs himself to seek out the commandments and perform them with the proper attention.  Even though both performed the commandment, the latter receives a much better reward, since he subjugated his "evil inclination" and directed himself towards his God. '''Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1504.htm#12|Amos 4:12}}.
 
  
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{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/February 2010/Feb 26th|Feb 26th||}}

Revision as of 15:03, 5 March 2010

Mar 5th (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog

Hi again!

It rained furiously all this past shabbat, much to our astonished joy. The rain continued into the beginning of this week, so that Purim was very wet. That's ok, because it's not like we were planning on taking long hikes on Purim. Instead we went to our friends house, where we (and two other couples) had one of the most enjoyable Purim meals we can recall.

Last week we mentioned the official Israeli Gov't website announcing "fish winds", and we laughed at it. It's not funny when it really happens -- or is it?

Sarah's ticket to visit her family in Argentina this summer is reserved. Now she needs to get her passport in order. Esther, Daniela and I will be sure to "live it up" while she's off in the Southern Hemisphere.

Al Gore (former Vice President of the US, currently making a fortune from global-warming related industries) received an inconvenient reception at Apple's shareholder meeting this week. Some of you have expressed the opinion that since I am not drinking the AGW kool-aid I must necessarily be anti-anything-green. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, I think one of the biggest (truly) man-made problems is pollution. Having lived for twenty or so years in the Pacific Northwest (of the USA), we have absorbed a lot of the ecologically friendly habits of that region. But I digress. The Obamanator has given a green-light to refunding nuclear power plants -- which if properly done can be a good thing overall (and if done improperly, not so good). But a team at Caltech has come up with extremely efficient solar cells, which really does have the ability to revolutionize energy production in large parts of the world. Very cool stuff.

Who said the Golden Age of Greece is over? This week, we learned from the Greeks that responsibility doesn't pay. At least it doesn't if they can get the rest of the EU to pay for their little fling with ludicrous social benefits. The geniuses in Dubai will now screen incoming tourists and reject Israelies -- based on "the way they look or talk". Hmm. Imagine the furor if, say, the US were to block idiots from Dubai by forcing them to take an intelligence test before entry? Not to be outdone, the Australian Federal Police officers sent to Israel to investigate the misuse of Australian passports were involved in a hit-and-run. Not to worry, we'll give their pictures and passport numbers to Interpol.

There's a long-standing joke that the way to make a small fortune in Israel is to bring a large fortune. While there is some truth to that, it is nevertheless possible to make financially successful aliyah if one makes the effort. Though you will probably make less money than you did when you had a job in the US (are there many of you left?), you will have the opportunity to perhaps reshape your life in a more meaningful direction and live where your forefathers could only pray about living.

Odds and ends:

Alas! Once again, no guests for shabbat. This week's menu includes: Esther's grandmother's roast chicken, cauliflower soup, crispy sticky-wings, hot-dogs, potato salad, salatim, a new kind of Hallah, homemade mandarin sorbet (from our own mandarin tree!).

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!



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