Parshas Shemini
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.
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.