Khullin 124b and 127a Two short passages too good to pass up. Some things never change.

 “A scholar named Rav Avia Sabba asked Rabbah bar Rav Huna a difficult question about whether a closed bone containing marrow could pass on ritual impurity. Instead of answering the question directly, Rabbah bar Rav Huna looked up and said, “See, there is a raven flying past!

“Rabbah bar Rav Huna was not trying to be rude. He used the raven as a distraction because he was simply too exhausted and drained to answer.

“Later, his son Rava asked him why he brushed off such a great scholar with a story about a bird. Rabbah bar Rav Huna explained his state of mind by quoting a verse from Song of Songs (2:5): "Sustain me with dainties, refresh me with apples; for I am love-sick." He meant that he was physically and mentally weak at that exact moment and did not have the clarity or energy needed to properly engage in a complex legal debate” (TB Khullin, 124b, Sefaria.org translation)

We do the same deflection. How many times have I’ve said with a smile, “Look! Hayley’s Comet!

Who says the rabbis don’t have a sense of humor

“If a resident of Neresh kisses you, count your teeth to make sure he did not steal one.” TB Kullin, 127a, Sefaria.org translation)

In this section of massekhet Khullin, the Talmud discusses a few different towns in ancient Babylonia whose citizens had a reputation for being tricky or dishonest. The sages used colorful, exaggerated humor—like stealing a tooth right out of someone's mouth during a friendly kiss—to tell travelers to keep their guard up

 

Khullin 130 Why were the Zeroa, Lechayayim, and Keiva given to the kohanim?

The 10^th chapter of our massekhet discusses the gifts given to the kohanim, priests as commanded in the Torah. “MISHNA: The mitzva to give the foreleg (Zeroa), the jaw (Lechayayim), and the maw (Keiva) of slaughtered animals to the priests, known as the gifts of the priesthood, applies both in Eretz Yisrael and outside of Eretz Yisrael, in the presence of the Temple and not in the presence of the Temple, and it applies to non-sacred animals, but not to sacrificial animals.” (TB Khullin 130, Sefaria.org translation) Why were these three parts of the animal given to the kohanim?

The Sefer HaChinuch, written in the Middle Ages by and an anonymous author enumerates and explains the mitzvot as they appear in each of the weekly Torah portions. The positive commandment to give the Zeroa, Lechayayim, and Keivah to the priest originates from the biblical text in Deuteronomy 18:3 and is mitzvah number 506.

The Sefer HaChinuch explains the "root of the commandment" by linking these three specific body parts directly to the historical actions of Pinchas (the grandson of Aaron the High Priest.

When the Jewish people were sinning in the desert, Pinchas risked his life to stop a public act of defilement by killing Zimri (a prince of Israel) and Kozbi (a Midianite princess). Because he zealously stood up for God's honor, God rewarded him and his descendants (the priests) with these physical cuts of meat forever.

The physical cuts act as a measure-for-measure reminder of his actions:

·        The Front Leg/Shoulder (Zeroa): Represents the arm of Pinchas, which he used to take up a spear and execute judgment.

·        The Lower Jaw/Cheeks (Lechayayim): Represents the mouth of Pinchas, which he used to pray out loud to God to stop the plague ravaging the nation.

·        The Stomach (Keivah): Represents the stomach of the woman, which is the exact location where Pinchas thrust his spear to end the sinning.

The Psychological Lesson

The Sefer HaChinuch notes a deeper psychological lesson here. It teaches that publicly sanctifying God's name earns long-lasting, tangible rewards. By forcing Jews to give these physical gifts every time they slaughter a farm animal, God ensures the nation never forgets Pinchas's bravery and the eternal benefits of serving Him.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Where+in+sefer+hachinuch+does+it+explain+why+the+priest+get+the+front+leg%2C+the+stomach+and+the+lower+jaw&oq=Where+in+sefer+hachinuch+does+it+explain+why+the+priest+get+the+front+leg%2C+the+stomach+and+the+lower+jaw&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAjIHCAIQIRiPAtIBCjk3NDg0ajBqMTWoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8#sv=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

 

Moses Maimonides in his masterpiece The Guide to the Perplexed provides a more philosophical reason why the Zeroa, Lechayayim, and Keivah were given to the priest. We should be liberal with our tzedakah and devotion to God and limit our appetite and desire for acquiring lots of possessions.

“The law concerning the fruit of a tree in its fourth year has some relation to idolatrous customs, as has been stated by us (chap. xxxvii.), and is connected with the law concerning the fruit of a tree in its first three years. But it has in addition the same object as the law concerning the heave-offering (Deut. 18:4), the dough-offering (ḥallah) (Num. 15:20), the first-fruit (Exod. 23:19), and the first of the shearing (Deut. 18:4). For the first of everything is to be devoted to the Lord; and by doing so man accustoms himself to be liberal, and to limit his appetite for eating and his desire for property. The same is the reason why the priest took the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the maw (Deut. 18:3); the cheek being the first part of the body of animals, the right shoulder the first of the extremities of the body, and the maw the first of all inwards.” Rambam Guide Part 3 39

 

 

My emai devrai torah for #Slikhot#KiTavo#KiTetze

 Saturday night our heshbon hanefesh introspection in preparation for the High Holidays intensifies with special midnight prayers called Slichot. Slichot in Hebrew means forgiveness, in the plural.  We seek forgiveness from God, from our fellow human beings, and from ourselves. This Saturday night we shall join our friends from Hillcrest Jewish Center and the Jewish Center of Kew Garden Hills for a joint Slichot evening of reflection, learning, and prayer at the Hillcrest Jewish Center.

Studies by a number of psychologists show that it is not great riches that makepeople happy, but friends and forgiveness.  Commenting on these findings in a USAToday article, Marilyn Elias says, "The happiest people surround themselveswith family and friends, don't care about keeping up with the Joneses next door,lose themselves in daily activities, and most important, forgive easily."

University of Michigan psychologist Christopher Peterson says that the ability toforgive others is the trait most strongly linked to happiness.  He calls it "thequeen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by."

An unforgiving spirit is often the last emotional fortress we yield to the powerof God.  Even as Jews, we may cling to anger and bitterness, feeling that thosewho have wronged us should suffer for their offenses.  But when we realize how much God has forgiven us, we are compelled to extend mercy to others.  Ben Sira in the Apocrypha taught, "Forgive your neighbor...and then, when you pray, your sins will be forgiven you." (28:2)

Forgiveness is God's command to us and is part of a life of love, peace, thankfulness, and praise.  Freely are we forgiven, let us freely forgive.  This High Holiday season, let our prayer be: "Lord, help me be kind and forgiving-/Your loving forgiveness You've shown/ To me for the sins I've committed;/ Lord grant me a love like Your own." (anonymous)

Our joint Slichot evening begins at 8:30 PM. The rabbis’ study opportunities and refreshments will follow. Slichot services will begin at 10:30 PM. Please join us for all or any part of the evening.

 

This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, begins by discussing the farmer’s obligation to bring his first fruits to the Temple and to thank God for blessing his land. The farmer is commanded to be full of joy and happiness as result of all the plenty that God bestowed upon him. “And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your God has bestowed upon you and your household.” (Deuteronomy 26:11) Right after this, the Torah goes on to a different topic. It talks of the farmer’s obligation to give a percentage of the crops to the poor, the orphans, and the widows, every third year.

What is the connection between the mitzvah of joy and happiness to that of tzedakkah? The Ba’al HaTurim offers an explanation. He writes that the connection between these two passages is that we can only be truly happy if we look after and provide for the needs of the poor and helpless.

This message is reinforced in Yom Kippur’s haftorah. Isaiah says: “No, this is the fast I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free; to break off the yoke. It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the rich and poor into your house; when you see the naked, to close him, and not to ignore your own kin. Then shall your light burst through like the dawn and your healing spring up quickly….” (58:6-8)

Prof. Norman Cohen writes in his book Hineini in Our Lives: “Yet, Isaiah reaches across the generations, calling out to us like the blast of a ram’s horn, signaling to us that not only can we survive, but we can even flourish once again. If only we can set aside our selfish concerns and sacrifice for others, we can move beyond own pain and then experience healing and wholeness. We will see the light burst forth like the dawn, as it breaks through the darkness of our own lives.

“And in the end, it turns out to be our own light illuminates the world. Our lives can be made better in the world to move closer to a messianic sign of healing and redemption, if only we realize that our sacrifices should not merely involve the giving up of food on a fast day, but rather the giving of self to the other in our lives every hour of every day that we live.” (Page 106)

There can be no greater joy than being God’s partner by bringing the world closer to humanity’s final redemption.

According to this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetze an Ammonite or Moabite may never join the Jewish people as it is written: “No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD; none of their descendants, even in the tenth generation, shall ever be admitted into the congregation of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt…” (DT 23: 4-5) Rabbi Pliskin in his book Love Your Neighbor explains why. “Rabbi Shimon said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer that from here we see the punishment of those who withhold kindness.” (page 417) They should have offered our ancestors food and drink as a common kindness.

Were you an ardent reader of L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz books? Do you remember the book Rinkitink in Oz? Who didn’t laugh at the antics of Baum’s irrepressible, good-hearted King Rinkitink with his down-to-earth goodness. Young Prince Inga described him best: “His heart is kind and gentle and that is far better than being wise.”

How simple and how sensible! Yet who has not wounded the heart of someone dear to us by a harsh word? By doing so, we disturb the peace and quiet of the hour and we can undo much of the good we have done toward those we love. “A small unkindness is a great offense,” said Hannah More, an 18th-century English writer.

Here’s the good news: Anyone can be kind. We may not be a Torah scholar, able to answer hard questions, or be an extremely successful business person, but we can all be kind.

As we prepare ourselves for the High Holidays in order to become the person we truly want to be, kindness one of the most helpful and healing things we can offer to others and to ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

TB Khullin 121 Dead cows walking

When a Jew correctly ritually slaughters the animal immediately is considered dead even though it is still convulsing. According to Torah law, one may remove a limb to eat it without violating the law consuming a limb from a living animal, עבר מן החי. Nevertheless, rabbinic law demands that the animal stops convulsing before eating it.

When a non-Jew slaughters an animal, the animal is not considered dead until it stops convulsing. Consequently if the non-Jew removed a limb to eat while the animal was still convulsing, he has violated one of the laws given to Noah after the flood (עבר מן החי). Both Jew and non-Jew are forbidden to separate and eat a limb from a living animal.

Daf TB Khullin 121 discusses cases where the animal is considered both dead and alive according to Rabbi Yokhanan.

Case #1 a Jew which will be slaughtering a nonkosher animal:

 Rav Oshaya teaches (Tosefta, Oholot 2:1): In the case of a Jew who slaughtered a non-kosher animal for the consumption of a gentile, if he slaughtered it by cutting two simanim or the majority of two simanim, and the animal is still twitching, the animal imparts impurity of food (even though neither the Jew nor Gentile may eat the meat, it is still considered food because it was slaughtered in the kosher manner, i.e. dead according to halakha as described above-gg); but so long as it is twitching it does not impart the impurity of animal carcasses (but it is also considered not dead for the Gentile since is still convulsing-gg).

"A limb that separates from this twitching animal is considered like a limb that separates from a living animal, and as such it imparts the impurity of a carcass. And flesh that separates from this twitching animal is considered like flesh that separates from a living animal, and as such it does not impart impurity. And it is prohibited for the descendants of Noah to consume the flesh that separates from this twitching animal, and this prohibition applies even after its soul departs. This ruling of Rav Oshaya is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan.”

Case #2 a Gentile slaughtering a kosher animal:

“And similarly, in the case of a gentile who slaughtered a kosher animal for the consumption of a Jew, and the animal is still twitching, the animal imparts the impurity of food because it is considered to be food (even though it you may never eat it-gg), but so long as it is twitching it does not impart the impurity of an animal carcass.

“A limb that separates from this twitching animal is considered like a limb that separates from a living animal, and as such it imparts the impurity of a carcass. And flesh that separates from this twitching animal is considered like flesh that separates from a living animal, and as such it does not impart the impurity of food. And it is prohibited for the descendants of Noah to consume the flesh that separates from this twitching animal, and this prohibition applies even after its soul departs.” (Sefaria.org translation)

In both cases the animals considered both dead and therefore susceptible to the impurity of food, but still alive to prohibit flesh for the descendants of Noah. In other words, a dead cow walking.

 

 

 

 

TB Khullin 107 My teacher Dr. José Faur was correct

Cold food does not transfer the taste. Only when the taste of meat or milk is infused in the other is this food prohibited. Halakhicly taste is only transferred in four ways: 1, through heat; 2, through fat; 3, through salting (chemical heat); and 4, through pickling (the milk and meat are in a liquid for at least 24 hours straight) Daf TB Khullin 107 discusses do you need to shopping bags, one for meat products and one for dairy products, when returning home from the supermarket.

“MISHNA: A person may bind meat and cheese in one cloth, provided that they do not come into contact with each other….

“GEMARA: The mishna teaches that one may bind meat and cheese together in one cloth, provided that they do not come into contact with each other. The Gemara asks: And if they come into contact with each other, what of it? It is a case of one cold food in contact with another cold food, and they would not absorb substances from one another. Abaye said: Granted that cold foods do not require the peeling of the place where they came into contact, as they do not absorb substances from one another. Nevertheless, don’t they require rinsing in water? The Sages therefore decreed against the contact of even cold meat and cheese, lest one come to eat them without rinsing them first.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Obviously we try to keep meat products and milk products separate as a fence around the Torah prohibition. Nevertheless, we must keep in mind that taste is only transferred in the four above methods. When cold meat and cold cheese accidentally touch each other, no taste is transferred and both are permitted. All one has to do is rinse the meat and cheese under running water to remove any of the other food particles clinging to it. Once you do that, both the milk and meat products may be eaten.

Today some people separate meat and milk products so completely their homes have two sinks and two dishwashers. They may even have two refrigerators. In my opinion none of this is required in order to keep a kosher home. When I was a rabbinical student I studied the laws of kashrut with Dr. José Faur z”l. He once said in class that Jews today are more strict in their observance of kashrut and need be and more lenient in their observance of Shabbat. He was right then and still right today.

 

TB Khullin 106 How much of your hands do you have to wash before eating bread?

Before eating bread we wash our hands ritually and recite the blessing 

"בָרוּךְ אַתָה ה', אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶר קִדְשָנוּ בְמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם. -Praise are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us through His commandments, and has commanded us about washing hands.” If you look at your hand, you’ll see three joints. The first joint is nearest to the tip of your finger. The second joint is at your knuckles. The third joint is closest to your wrist. Today’s daf TB Khullin 106 discusses how much of your hands to have to wash before eating bread.

“The Sages taught in a baraita: In washing of the hands for consumption of non-sacred food, one must pour the water on the area that extends until the joint of the fingers. In washing hands for consumption of teruma, he must pour on the area extending until the joint. In sanctifying the hands and feet in the Temple before the service, he must pour the water until another joint, where the palm meets the wrist…

“Rav said this halakha to his students while indicating with his hand the joints to which the baraita is referring: One washes until here, the second joint of the fingers, for non-sacred food, and until there, the third joint, where the fingers join the palm, for teruma. And Shmuel disagreed and said: One washes until here both for eating non-sacred food and for teruma, indicating the more stringent location, the third joint where the fingers join the palm. And Rav Sheshet said: Until here both for the consumption of non-sacred food and for teruma, indicating the more lenient location, the second joint.

“Bar Hedya said: I was standing before Rabbi Ami, and he said: One washes until here both for non-sacred food and for teruma, indicating the more stringent location, the third joint. And do not say that Rabbi Ami acted this way only because he is a priest and acted stringently to avoid confusing teruma and non-sacred food. This cannot be, as Rabbi Meyasha, son of the son of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, is a Levite, and yet he too said: Until here both for non-sacred food and for teruma, indicating the more stringent location.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Our tradition is to be stringent as Shmuel teaches and wash our hands up to the point where our palms meet our arms. (Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Sefer Ahavah, Chapter 6, Halakha 4)

 

 

 

TB Khullin 105 How long do you have to wait between eating milk and meat?

Today’s daf TB Khullin 105 discusses how long do you have to wait between eating milk and meat and meat and milk.

“Rav Asi posed a dilemma to Rabbi Yoḥanan: How much time should one wait between eating meat and eating cheese? Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: No time at all. The Gemara asks: Is that so? But doesn’t Rav Ḥisda say: If one ate meat, it is prohibited for him to eat cheese immediately, but if he ate cheese it is permitted for him to eat meat without delay? Rather, Rav Asi actually asked Rabbi Yoḥanan the following question: How much time should one wait between eating cheese and eating meat? In response to this question, Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: No time at all.

“After tangentially citing a statement of Rav Ḥisda, the Gemara discusses the matter itself. Rav Ḥisda says: If one ate meat, it is prohibited for him to eat cheese immediately, as the meat contains fatty substances that stick to one’s mouth and preserve the flavor of meat. But if he ate cheese it is permitted for him to eat meat without delay. Rav Aḥa bar Yosef said to Rav Ḥisda: In the case of meat that is between the teeth, what is the halakha? Are these remnants considered meat to the extent that one may not eat cheese as long as they are in his mouth? "In response, Rav Ḥisda read about him the following verse: “While the meat was yet between their teeth” (Numbers 11:33). This verse indicates that even when the meat is between one’s teeth it is still considered meat, and therefore one may not partake of cheese until that meat has been removed.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Even though one does not have to wait between eating milk then meat, the Gemara teaches that one should clean the mouth by wiping it with some solid food and then rinsing it in order to remove all dairy residue. Today that would mean brushing your teeth and rinsing them. Because during this time period utensils like forks and spoons did not exist or were hardly used and most foods were eaten by hand, there’s also a tradition of washing your hands after eating cheese so no cheese residue remains on your hands before you eat your meat.

Since the Gemara is ambiguous concerning how much time one must wait between eating meat and milk, many different traditions arose. One is forbidden to eat cheese after eating meat, fowl, and undomesticated kosher animals until one has waited six hours which is the measurement of time that one waits between meals. However even after waiting six hours there still meat between one’s teeth, one must remove the meat from his teeth. There are those who say one does not have to wait six hours. As long as one stops eating meat and recites Grace after meals, one is permitted eat the cheese after wiping and rinsing the mouth. There are those who have the tradition of waiting only one hour between eating meat and milk. Nevertheless without reciting Grace after meals, waiting one hour is insufficient. After one hour one still finds meat stuck between his teeth, he has to remove it. Those who are scrupulous wait six hours after eating meat before eating cheese. See Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Foods, Chapter 9 Halakha 28 and Shulkhan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 89:1.

I don’t know where the tradition awaiting three or four hours between eating meat and milk originated even though many people observe this tradition as well.