You shall keep My statutes and all of My laws and observe them so that you will not be expelled by the Land to which I am bringing you there to reside in. You shall not follow the customs of the nation which I am expelling before you, for they did all the above mentioned sins and I became disgusted with them. And I have said to you that you shall inherit their Land, and I shall give it to you that you may inherit it, a Land flowing with milk and honey, I am HaShem, your God.

The Mishna in Bechorot 5b teaches: The product of that which is non kosher is non kosher, and the product of that which is kosher is kosher.

The Talmud, Bechorot 6b asks how we know that milk from a kosher animal is kosher.

Israel is “Eretz zavat chalav u’devash”, “A Land flowing with milk and honey.” If milk was not permitted, would the Torah praise the Land of Israel with something that was not fit for consumption?

Is milk considered to be “Ever min haChai”, a complete limb detached from a live animal, and therefore be forbidden for consumption?

Most opinions would say no, because it is not a complete limb.

Could milk be considered “Basar min HaChai”, meat detached from a live animal?  

According to the Nodeh B’Yehuda (Tinyana Yoreh Deah 36), milk would not be considered “Basar min HaChai” since it is not a piece of meat. Maybe milk can be considered “eino zavuach”, a byproduct of a live animal that did not go through the Shechita (slaughtering) process. However, many of the Rishonim don’t agree that there is an issue of “eino zavuach” and therefore milk from a kosher animal is permitted despite the fact that it comes from a live animal.

How is honey kosher if it is a product of a bee which is not kosher?

The Talmud, Bechorot 7b teaches that Rav Sheshet follows the ruling of Rav Yaakov who said that God explicitly permitted honey, but otherwise it would have been forbidden since it comes from a non kosher animal. As it is taught in a Braita: Rav Yaakov says: The verse states concerning permitted grasshoppers (Vayikra 11:21) “This may you eat from all creeping creatures that fly”, “this you may eat” (the permitted grasshopper) but you may not eat a non-kosher creeping creature that flies…You may not eat a non kosher creeping creature that flies but you may eat what a non kosher flying creature produces. What is this? This is bee honey.

The metaphor of a Land flowing with milk and honey shows us that Israel is a spiritual Land where extra ordinary things happen. Even though it does not make sense for milk or honey to be kosher, they are.

In the Modern State of Israel today as well, a lot of things just don’t make sense!

May we see peace in Israel and have the opportunity to take advantage of the spirituality that the Land has to offer.

Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim,

Sharona Margolin Halickman

Sponsored by the Frankel Family to commemorate
the Yahrtzeit of David’s father,

Benyamin Ben Avraham, Ha Levi z”l

The third aliya of
Parshat Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:23) begins with the following words:

When you enter the
Land and plant any food bearing tree, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden.
For three years it shall be forbidden to you, it must not be eaten.

Or HaChayim points out that this verse
contains three commandments:

1) To come to the Land of Israel.

2) To plant fruit-bearing trees in
order to enhance the stature of the land.

3) To observe the years of Orla
before one is entitled to eat or use the fruit of these trees.

One’s migration to the Land of Israel
should not only be motivated by self-gratification. It should be accompanied by
a love for the Land that God has given us as an inheritance, the Land that God
has chosen for His name to dwell in. The Torah commands us to plant trees so
that we should not think that all we have to do in the Holy Land is to simply make
it our home without civilizing the country. The words “when you enter the land…”
imply that the Torah speaks about spiritual values connected with this Land.

Midrash Tanchuma Kedoshim 8:1 points
out:

Even though you find the land full
of all bounty, you shall not say, “Let us settle down and not plant.” Rather, be
serious about planting. Just as you came in and found trees and plants which
others had planted, so you shall plant for your children, lest someone say, “Since
I am old and tomorrow I shall die, why should I toil for others.”

There is a story about the emperor Hadrian;
He was going to war and traveling with his troops to fight with a certain
country for having rebelled against him. He found an elderly man who was
planting fig saplings. Hadrian said to him, “You are an old man. Why are you taking
the trouble to toil for others?” He said to Hadrian, “My lord king, here I am
planting. If I am worthy, I shall eat of the fruit of my saplings; but if not,
my children will eat.” Hadrian spent three years at war, and after three years
he returned. What did that elderly man do? He took a fruit basket, filled it
with the first fruits of beautiful figs, and drew near to Hadrian. He said to
him, “My lord king, take these figs, for I am the same old man whom you found
when you were on your way to the war when you said, ‘You are an old man; why
are you taking the trouble to toil for others?’ See, the Holy One, blessed be
He, has already found me worthy to eat some fruit from my saplings. Now this
fruit in my fruit basket is your portion from those saplings.” Hadrian said to
his servants, “Take it from him and fill it with gold coins.” And so they did.

The end of the midrash teaches:

One should not cease from planting.
Just as you found the land with trees and plants, so too should you still continue
to plant even when you are older. God said to Israel, “Learn from Me. Do I need
fruits?” And yet we read in Breisheet 2:8 “And the Lord God planted a garden in
Eden, in the east.”

Ever since October 7, volunteers
have been coming to Israel from all over the world to plant. They understand
that after the destruction which took place, they must help rebuild even if
they will not be in Israel to personally benefit from the fruit.

The five year plan for rehabilitating
Otef Azza (the Gaza Envelope) which was announced last month includes plans for
housing, transportation, healthcare, security, culture and agriculture.

The five year plan for agriculture
is to add 120 new farms. Not only do we want to replant the farms that were
destroyed, we want to add 3500 more acres! This is the fulfillment of Kedoshim
19:23: “When you enter the Land and plant…”

You may have heard of a relatively new trend of baking Shlissel Challah
which has taken off with the popularity of social media.

Shlissel Challah is challah that is baked for the Shabbat immediately
following Pesach. The original Chasidic minhag (custom) first written down
about 200 years ago, is to either bake the challah in the shape of a key, to
imprint the top of the challah with a key or to decorate the top of the challah
with sesame seeds in the shape of a key. The custom of actually baking a metal
key into the challah itself is a more recent phenomenon.

Why would anyone want to bake a key challah?

The idea of baking a key challah is that it is thought to be a segulah
(good omen) for parnassah (to earn a good living). The thought behind it is if
I bake a key challah, I will get a better job, a raise, win the lottery etc.

Where does this come from?

The Talmud, Rosh HaShana 16a connects Pesach with parnassah:

At four junctures during the year the world is judged: on Pesach for the
grain…

The Apter Rav, Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel (1748-1825) and Ta’amei
Minhagim both write about Shlissel Challah.

The verse that is used to connect Pesach and the key is from Shir
HaShirim 5:2 (which is read on Pesach):

I sleep, but my heart wakes: Hark, my beloved is knocking, saying, Open
for me, my sister, my love, my dove…

The Midrash, Shir HaShirim Rabba explains:

“Open for me” – Rabbi Yasa said: The
Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: My children, open for Me one opening of
repentance like the eye of the needle, and I will open for you openings that
wagons and carriages enter through it.

Why do we specifically need
parnassah right after Pesach?

In the book of Yehoshua 5:10-12 we
see that after B’nai Yisrael entered Israel and celebrated Pesach they ate the
food of the land and the manna no longer fell:

B’nai
Yisrael encamped at Gilgal and offered the Pesach sacrifice on the fourteenth
day of the month, toward evening. On the day after the Pesach offering, on that
very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched
grain. On that same
day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites
got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the Land of Canaan.

Just
as B’nai Yisrael had parnassah right after Pesach, so too do we want to have
parnassah at this time of year.

Can’t
we just pray for parnassah? Is using a key even a Jewish concept?

In
Parshat Kedoshim we are taught to be holy and follow God’s mitzvot, not the
ways of idolatry.

Since
the practice of the key is not from Jewish origins, it can be considered Darkei
HaEmori (the ways of the Emorites) and should therefore be forbidden.

There
is a Christian practice going back to the 14^th century (which originated
from the pagan Saxons who would bake crossed bread in the beginning of spring
to show the four quarters of the moon in honor of the goddess Eostre) to bake
Easter bread a few days before Easter with a cross baked into the top to
symbolize the crucifixion. Hot crossed buns would be an example of this type of
bread. Considering that a key looks a lot like a cross and when the minhag of
Shlissel Challah originated the key was pressed on top of the challah (not
baked inside) we have reason to believe that this “minhag” was adapted from a
non-Jewish custom.

If we
reject baking Shlissel Challah, how do we ensure that we have parnassah?

There
is a mitzvah to do Hafrashat Challah every time that we bake bread which
entails separating the dough that would have gone to the Kohein, burning it and
saying a blessing. Hafrashat Challah is a special time to add our own prayers
and blessings and would be the perfect time to pray for parnassah especially
this year since a lot of Israel’s grain is usually imported from Poland and the
Ukraine and due to the war we will need to import the wheat from other
countries. There is no need for us to add in foreign symbols and objects and we
don’t need intermediaries, we can direct our prayers straight to God.

May
we be blessed with a Shabbat Shalom, delicious challahs and lots of parnassah.

In Parshat Kedoshim, we find many
important laws. Two mitzvot that especially stand out after the very difficult
year that we had with Covid19 are: fearing our parents (Vayikra 19:3) and
respecting the elderly (Vayikra 19:33).

Over the past year, the elderly
population was hit the hardest by Covid19. Many senior citizens passed away in
nursing homes as the virus spread very quickly in facilities throughout the world.
Family and friends were barred from visiting their loved ones. Those seniors
who were living at home were very isolated as well as it was unsafe to go out
into the unknown. Day centers, community centers and houses of worship were
closed and many older adults had little human contact. Many don’t use
technology so they were not even able to participate in online programs.

The vaccine has helped the elderly
population tremendously but most are still being as cautious as possible. If
there was ever a time to reach out to the elderly safely, it is now!

In 2013, Knesset Member Uri Orbach
established Shabbat VeHadarta, based on the verse to respect the elderly from Parshat Kedoshim. The idea of the Shabbat is to show our appreciation for the elderly community
members by honoring them with aliyot in shul, giving out flowers, cards, gifts
or whatever will brighten their day.

This year more than ever, the senior
community would appreciate our love and support.

Feel free to reach out to the
elderly residents in your community and show how much you care and appreciate
them. Drop off cards or gifts at your local nursing home which the staff can
distribute even if they are not yet allowing visitors. Pick up the phone before
Shabbat and take a moment to wish those who may be lonely a Shabbat Shalom.

Here in Jerusalem, we would like to
distribute flowers in honor of Shabbat VeHadarta at our local nursing homes.
Please be in touch with me at toratreva@gmail.com if you would like to
contribute any amount that you are comfortable giving and we will purchase
flowers for the elderly residents. You can contribute through this link: http://toratreva.org/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=7
It will be a nice surprise that I am sure they will appreciate.

Parshat Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:1-2)
begins with the words:

God spoke to Moshe saying: “Speak to the entire congregation of
B’nai Yisrael and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I, HaShem your God am
holy,”

We then read about different examples
of how to be holy including observing Shabbat, not cursing someone who is deaf
and not placing a stumbling block before a blind person. We are constantly
reminded to fear God. We are also taught not to take revenge or bear a grudge
and to love your fellow as yourself.

Reading through Parshat Kedoshim
brings to mind the Shalva band and the challenges that they have faced.

The Shalva band is made up of musicians
with special needs. The two lead singers are blind and one member is visually
impaired. Two members have Down syndrome, one has Williams syndrome and one is
an injured Israeli soldier. They beat all of the odds and were slated to
perform in the Eurovision completion. However, they were told that although the
concert is after Shabbat (on a Saturday night), they must be there for the
practice as well earlier in the day on Saturday.

When it was clear that the Saturday
rule could not be changed, Shalva pulled out of the competition. Instead, they
will perform at the semi-final which is not held on Shabbat. They have also
been invited to perform on Erev Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the eve of Israel Independence
Day at the torch lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl.

Although the Shalva band was not
discriminated against due to their disabilities, their honor for Shabbat was
not respected. Their fear of God was greater than wanting to represent Israel
in the Eurovision. They did not bear a grudge and they have received a lot of
respect and exposure for sticking to their beliefs.

According to Rabbi Naftali Hertz
Wiesel, the “Biur”, “Love your fellow as yourself” reminds us that we are all
created in the image of God. Just as you are created in the image of God, so
too is your neighbor.

Since we were all created in the
image of God, including those with special needs, all must be treated equally.

 Shalva is now running a campaign to raise
awareness of the fact that unfortunately, there are those who hold grudges
against people with special needs and don’t want to include them. These people
must be made aware of the fact that we must respect each other as we were all
created in the image of God.

May we learn a lesson from the
Shalva band and from Parshat Kedoshim to act holy, emulate God, treat others,
including those who are different from us with respect and stand up for what we
believe in.

In Parshat Kedoshim there are many important
commandments about how one must treat their fellow person. One mitzvah that
especially stands out is not being a talebearer (gossip).

Are there times when the rules about not speaking
badly about others are suspended?

 Is it ever
obligatory to speak negatively about somebody?

According to the Chafetz Chayim, if a man sees that
his fellow is guilty of misconduct, given to pride or anger or is neglectful of
Torah study, he should apprise his son or disciples and warn them not to
associate with him, so as not to be influenced by his ways. For the real
concern of the Torah is forbidding evil talk, even when true, was the evil
intent involved in wishing to disgrace our fellow and enjoy his discomfort. But
where the intention is to save our fellow beings from bad influences, it is
plain that it is permissible and even obligatory. But in these circumstances,
it would seem that it is necessary for the speaker to explain the reasons for
speaking ill of his fellow, so that the listener should not be misled into
going too far or into being astonished at his apparently inconsistent behavior,
sometimes asserting that it is even forbidden to tell the truth about someone
else’s conduct… whereas now he himself is guilty of talking about someone else…

A few examples of where the Chafetz Chayim specifies
that one must say negative things about another person: If he wishes to hire an
employee or take a partner in his business, or propose a match or take a
teacher for his son. In all of these cases one is obligated to tell the whole
truth about the person investigated so long as the interrogator reveals the
purpose of his inquiries and that he is not just interested in gossip for its
own sake, but wishes to take care and save himself from trouble, and some
positive purpose is involved.

The Chafetz Chayim writes: How misled are people who,
though accustomed to talking about other people’s faults and keen on hearing
some gossip or slander, immediately shut their mouths like a vice and pretend
ignorance the moment some purposeful information is required in connection with
a match (shidduch), Torah study or business partnership. Why this sudden
reticence? Only because of the responsibility involved… But when their
information serves no beneficial end they are free with their talk.

We can learn from here that if we are asked to give
a work recommendation, we must be honest about the capabilities of the
potential employee so that the person hiring can make an educated decision as
to whether they are the right candidate for the job. When it comes to hiring a
teacher it is important that issues are not swept under the rug especially
those related to abuse. As far as a shidduch, it is best to have all of the
facts on the table before the marriage to minimize issues that could have potentially
been avoided before the wedding.

The general rule is that one should not look to
gossip but if important information needs to be shared then we are obligated to
truthfully answer questions when asked.

In the Spring of 2013, Uri Orbach z”l named Shabbat Parshat
Kedoshim Shabbat Vehadarta, The Shabbat of Honor.

The title of the Shabbat comes from Vayikra 19:32 “Before
the grey haired you shall rise and honor the face of the elder and fear your
God. I am the Lord.”

Uri Orbach was a national religious journalist, author and
member of Knesset who as Minister of Pensioner Affairs spoke out on behalf of
the elderly. He felt that Shabbat Kedoshim should be dedicated to appreciating
the elderly and that during Torah reading an elderly person should be honored
with the third aliya (which mentions honoring the elderly). He also suggested
that synagogues and youth groups throughout Israel conduct lectures dedicated
to the topic of respecting the elderly.

Unfortunately, Uri Orbach’s life was cut short when he
passed away from a chronic hematologic disease at age 54.

Some of Uri Orbach’s contributions while in the Knesset included
making all movies 10 shekels for senior citizens on Tuesdays, pairing up high
school students with senior citizens to teach them how to use the computer and
inviting senior citizens to take classes at a Jerusalem’s Himmelfarb high
school. At the kickoff event of the program, Uri Orbach came to the school and
paired up the teenagers with the senior citizens for a chavruta Torah learning
program.

Those outside of Israel can commemorate Shabbat
Vehadarta next Shabbat when Parshat Kedoshim is read in chutz laaretz (the
Diaspora).

In the poetry books that he wrote for children, Uri Orbach
used humor to teach the children good values.

One poem that stands out in my mind is a poem about a boy
who says that he doesn’t only study mishna in order to earn candy, he doesn’t
only make room for an elderly man with a cane because the rabbi is
watching…There are things that he does on his own because he is a nice boy. The
poem is accompanied by a picture of a boy helping an elderly man carry his
bags.

We must do what we can to continue Uri Orbach’s legacy of
treating the elderly with respect, not just this Shabbat but every day.

If you would like to sponsor a class for the elderly in Jerusalem in honor of
Shabbat Vehadarta follow the link: http://toratreva.org/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=7

In Parshat Kedoshim (Vaykra 19:14) we read: “You shall not
curse a deaf person and before a blind person you shall not place a stumbling
block; you shall fear your God, I am God.”

It is clear this pasuk that people with special needs should
not be taken advantage of or mistreated. We can learn from here that all people
should be treated properly and respected whether or not they have special
needs.

It has taken society in general and society in Israel in
particular a long time to reach the point where we can say that those with
special needs are truly being treated as equal members of society and not
looked down upon.

This past Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day),
recognition has been given to citizens of Israel who have done exemplary work
for the State of Israel, some of whom have special needs.

Toby Klein Greenwald points out that Rami Levy, founder of
the third largest supermarket chain in Israel who was invited to light one of
the torches on Erev Yom Haatzmaut at Har Herzl acknowledged in his speech how
thankful he is to have been able to come this far in the business world despite
having dyslexia.

Pvt. Dan Korkowsky lit the torch on behalf of the IDF’s
special needs soldiers. Pvt.  Korkowsky
was diagnosed as being on the spectrum for autism and he is part of the IDF’s
special intelligence unit 9900.

On Yom HaAtzmaut, the Israel Prize for Literature was
awarded to Erez Biton who has been blind since his childhood yet being blind
did not stop him from writing five books of poetry.

Chaim Topol, most famous for his role as Tevya in Fiddler on
the Roof won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Israel Prize Ceremony for
his work with children with special needs. Topol is a founder of “Variety” and
chairman of the Jordan River Village for children with
life threatening illnesses.

It is about time that Israel recognizes the achievements
of people with special needs and those who work on behalf of those with special
needs in the workplace, in our cultural institutions and in the army.

It is not enough to “not curse a deaf person” and “not put a
stumbling block before a blind person”, we must give honor to those who deserve
it no matter what physical or emotional challenges they may face.

In Parshat Kedoshim (Vayikra
19:33-34) we read: “When a convert dwells among you in your Land, do not taunt
him. The convert who dwells with you shall be like a native among you and you
shall love him like yourself for you were aliens in the land of Egypt- I am Hashem your God.”

Why does this pasuk specifically
talk about a convert living in the Land of Israel?

The Gemara in Yevamot 47a
answers: We learn from this pasuk that we can accept converts even in the Land of Israel. We may have thought that they
are trying to move to Israel
because it is a great and prosperous Land but even in the times that the Land
isn’t prosperous, there are still laws that ensure that all of the poor have
food to eat (leket, shichecha and peah). The Torah still states that we do
accept converts in the Land of Israel.

Unfortunately, the Ministry of
Interior and the Rabbinate in Israel suspect each convert that comes to Israel,
assuming that they are only moving here to receive Sal Klita (money given by
the government to new olim) and they therefore give each convert, even those
approved by the strictest of courts a hard time before they (hopefully) finally
let them make aliya.

This is a very sad situation
which must be rectified as it says in the psukim above: “do not taunt him”,
“you shall love him like yourself”.

Let’s hope and pray that the
process of aliya becomes easier for sincere converts.

You may be wondering why, in the month of April, I am asking a question
about if Jews should be celebrating Halloween.

According to Alfred J. Kolatch in The Second Jewish Book of Why, Halloween originated
as a Celtic holiday and was celebrated by Druids (priests of a religious order
in ancient Gaul and Britain).
The celebration marked the end of summer and pumpkins, cornstalks, and products
of the earth were used in the feasting and merrymaking.

In the eighth century, when the Church saw that it would not succeed in
weaning people away from celebrating the pagan holiday, it incorporated
Halloween into the Christian calendar. The holiday would be celebrated on
November the first as a day honoring all saints (hence the name All Saints’ Day).
The night before, October 31, was called “holy [hallowed] evening,”
and many of the old pagan Druid practices were retained in its celebration,
including the dressing up as ghosts, goblins, witches, fairies, and elves.

Halacha prohibits Jewish celebration of Halloween. The reason comes from a
pasuk in Parshat Kedoshim that we will read this Shabbat (hence I am writing
about this in April instead of in October), Vayikra 18:3: “Do not perform the
practice of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not perform the
practice of the land of Cnaan to which I bring you and do not follow their
traditions”.

There is no shortage of Jewish holidays to celebrate. Halloween is usually
only a few weeks after a month of holidays including Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur,
Sukkot, the holiday which celebrates the fact that we should appreciate that
everything that we harvest comes from God and Simchat Torah, a festival where
children amass a tremendous amount of candy while celebrating the Torah.

Those who want to celebrate the products of the earth do so on Sukkot. Those
who like to collect candy do so on Simchat Torah. Those who want to get dressed
up in costumes will have to wait a few months, but they can do so on Purim.

The beauty of living in Israel is that we don’t even realize when it is Halloween since the country follows
the Jewish calendar.