Parshas Shemini Parshas Poroh Erev Shabbos Shabbos Day Mincha 5:55pm Shacharis 9:00am Plag Hamincha 6:10pm Latest time for Shema 10:27am Latest Candle lighting 7:06pm Shabbos Mincha 4:30 / 6:55pm Shkiya 7:24pm Shabbos Ends 8:04pm *Ladies Shiur * Mrs Jodi Goldberg will be giving a ladies shiur this Shabbos Morning All ladies and girls welcome *SHAAREI DAVENING TIMES NEXT WEEK * *Shacharis * *Mincha / Maariv * *Second Maariv * *Sunday * 8:00am 7:05pm 8:45pm *Monday* 6:30 / 7:30am 7:05pm 8:45pm *Tuesday* 6:45 / 7:30am 7:05pm 8:45pm *Wednesday* 6:45 / 7:30am 7:00pm 8:45pm *Thursday* 6:30 / 7:30am 7:00pm 8:45pm *Friday* 6:45 / 7:30am 5:45pm *Short Vort on the Parsha * In explanation of the pasuk at the end of this week's parsha, Chazal tell us, "'And you are to sanctify yourselves' refers to the mayim reshonim - washing one's hands before partaking of bread,'and you shall become holy' refers to the mayim achronim - washing one's hands after eating" (Brachos 53b). Obviously, the directive to wash mayim achronim was not meant solely as a means of ridding our fingers of salts that may have dangerous properties. Had this been the case, the Torah would not have described this washing as a means of becoming holy. So what indeed lies behind this act of sanctification? The answer offers us valuable instruction on the proper approach to those mitzvos that seem to jive completely with our nature. The need to sanctify oneself before eating is understandable since eating is a holy endeavour. At the very least it is a fulfillment of the Torah's commandment to guard one's health (Devarim 4:15). On its highest level, ingesting the food on one's table parallels the partaking of korbanos which are brought upon the mizbeiach. Conversely, eating is also a pleasurable activity which is often arouses one's ta'avah - base desires. We are instructed to wash mayim achronim to cleanse ourselves from the arousal of any such ta'avos. Chazal are informing us that on the one hand if a person perceives eating as an entirely animalistic instinct, he will never succeed in elevating himself to a level of kedusha since he perceives himself in a very physical manner. On the other hand, if he views eating as an exclusively holy endeavor he will fool himself into thinking that he can indulge to his heart's content, for after all he is involving himself in a most holy pursuit. Thus, it is clear that even those mitzvos which comply with our natural tendencies also necessitate an avodah. We must prepare for them as we would do for something holy, but we must constantly confirm that we are not fooling ourselves into believing that we have already reached the level where the physical actions are purely an expression of the spiritual. -- __________________ Craig Goldberg +61-419-220-707 Sent from Gmail Mobile