Thursday, April 10th Parshat Tazria

 

MITZVOT HASADEH VA’KERAMIM

            President Biden challenge

            Without limits?

            Modern day challenge

            Leket NFP

 

 

HEBREW

Words from Parsha

 

PARSHA

Bimbam-  the grossest parsha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6bPAyPCYu4

Quiz on blood and skin. 

Modern Commentary: My teacher,  Rabbi Gail Diamond: reading for wisdom among the offensive.  Time for moms to heal.  See Handouts below.

Rate the statements on gossip

Lashon Harah- Halachot, and evaluation

        AES RS APR 08 2024

AES RS APR 11 2024

 

MITZVOT HASADEH VA’KERAMIM

            President Biden challenge

            Without limits?

            Modern day challenge

            Leket NFP

 

 

HEBREW

Words from Parsha

 

PARSHA

Bimbam-  the grossest parsha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6bPAyPCYu4

Quiz on blood and skin. 

Modern Commentary: My teacher,  Rabbi Gail Diamond: reading for wisdom among the offensive.  Time for moms to heal.  See Handouts below.

Rate the statements on gossip

Lashon Harah- Halachot, and evaluation

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.          סַפַּחַת

a.            Safachat

b.          Sapachat

c.            Sapochat

d.          Shapochat

e.            Showsnapchat

 

 

 

 

 

2.          בַהֶרֶת

a.            Vaharat

b.          Baharat

c.            Vaheret

d.          Baheret

e.            Bahhumbug

 

 

 

3.          וְהִסְגִּירוֹ

a.            Vehisehgiru

b.          Vehis’giru

c.            Vahisehgiru

d.          Vahis’giru

e.            Vashti’s guru

 

 

 

4.          הַמִּסְפַּחַת

a.            Hamisfachat

b.          Hamisfochat

c.            Hamispechet

d.          Hamispachat

e.            Ham is for chat?

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.          וְנֶהְפַּךְ

a.            Vanehefach

b.          Venehefach

c.            Venehfach

d.          Venepach

e.            Vine patch

 

 

 

 

 

6.          בַּבַּהֶרֶת

a.            Vavaheret

b.          Vavaheyreyt

c.            Babaheret

d.          Babaheereet

e.            Baba O’Reilly

 

 

 

 

 

7.          בַגַּבַּחַת

a.            Vagavachat

b.          Bagabachat

c.            Vagabachat

d.          Bagavahat

e.            Baba O’Reilly

 

 

 

 

8.          תִּשְׂרְפֶנּוּ

a.            Teesherephenu

b.          Teesesehrephenu

c.            Teeshrephenu

d.          Teesrephenu

e.            Tees from Temu

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.          הַשְּׂמָאלִית’

a.            Heshema’alit

b.          Hesma’alit

c.            Hashmalit

d.          Hasemalit

e.            Hashmo lite

 

 

 

 

 

10.                 וְכִסְּתָה

a.            Vechsehtah

b.          Vecheesetah

c.            Vachsehtah

d.          Vacheesetah

e.            Vacheessnacka

 

 

 

 

 

11.                 אֲדַמְדָּמֶת

a.            Adumdamet

b.          Ademehdamat

c.            Ademdamet

d.          Adamdamet

e.            Adam Demmet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do not go about as a tale-bearer among your people- do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor!- Leviticus 19:16

. לֹא-תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ, לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל-דַּם רֵעֶךָ!

 

 Maimonides on Negative Speech, from Hilkhot Deot (Jewish Ethics and Thought), 7:1-4

A. Rechilut,  or, “Life and death are in the hand of the tongue- Proverbs 18:21”

Whoever tells tales about another person violates a prohibition from the Torah, as it is said, ‘Do not go about as a rachil/tale-bearer among your neighbors’ (see below.)  Who is a tale-bearer?  One who carries reports and goes about from one person to another and says, ‘So-and-so said this;’ ‘I have heard such-and-such about so-and-so.’  Even if what the person repeats is true, the talebearer ruins the world.

There is a still more grave offense that comes with this prohibition, namely lashon ha’rah /evil speech [literally ‘the evil tongue.]  This means talking disparagingly of anyone, even though what one says is true; and one who utters falsehood is called a slanderer.

A person with an evil tongue is one who, while sitting in company, says, ‘That person did such and such a thing;’ ‘So-and-so’s ancestors were so-and-so;’ ‘I have heard this about them;’ and then proceeds to talk scandal.

B. What Is Lashon Harah?

As a rule, most people seem to think that there is nothing morally wrong in spreading negative information about others as long as the information is true.  Jewish law takes a very different view.  Perhaps that is why the Hebrew term lashon ha-ra has no precise equivalent in English.  For unlike slander, which is universally condemned as immoral because it is false, lashon ha-ra is by definition true.  It is the dissemination of accurate information that will lower the status of the person to whom it refers.

There are modes of speech that may be styled avak lashon ha’rah  [a catalyst or precursor for negative speech]:  such remarks as ‘Who would have thought that so-and-so would be as they are now;’ or, ‘Don’ talk about so-and-so.  You don’t want to know what happened;’ and so on. . . Equally reprehensible is the person who indulges in evil speech deceitfully, that is speaks innocently, as if unaware that what they say can hurt another person.

Since lashon ha-ra is considered anything that lowers another person’s status, it  is irrelevant whether one uses a nonverbal technique to commit it.  Jewish law designates such non-verbal behavior as avak lashon ha-ra (the “dust of lashon ha-ra).

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), “The Gossips,” 1948. Painting for “The Saturday Evening Post” cover, March 6, 1948. Oil on canvas. 

C.  What Is Motzi Shem Ra? The most grievous violation of ethical speech is slander, the spreading of malicious falsehoods (known to be false), what Jewish law calls motzi shem ra, “giving another a bad name.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once there was a town gossip  who spread every rumor and story. Sometimes the stories were true, and sometimes the stories were not true.    The town became full of gossip and lies, and began to become a terrible place to live. The Rabbi then called the gossip to his house.  "Why do like to share these rumors and stories?" the Rabbi asked.  "It's only talk," replied the gossip. "I can always take it back."

"Perhaps you are right," said the Rabbi, and he began to talk of other things. As the gossip was ready to leave, the Rabbi asked, "I wonder if you would do something for me."  "Of course," said the gossip.  The Rabbi took a pillow from the couch and handed it to the gossip. "This will sound strange, but do me this favor. Take a  pillow to the town square. When you get there, cut it open, and shake out the feathers. Then come back."

The gossip was puzzled, but agreed to do what the Rabbi said. He got a pillow and took it to the town square and cut it open. The breeze scattered the feathers across the sky, down every street and into the air in every direction, quickly vanishing.  The gossip returned to the Rabbi's house and told him what he had done.

The Rabbi seemed pleased. He handed the Gossip a basket and said, "Now please go back to the square, and gather the feathers up again."  The gossip gasped, "But that's impossible."  "You are right," said the Rabbi. "So is it not possible to take back all the untrue things you said about others. Be careful with the words you spread. Once spoken and sent on their way, they cannot be gathered again."

 

At least a pillow contains a finite number of feathers.  An email, on the other hand, can be ad infinitum (without limit)---- Rabbi Michael Fessler

 

RATE THESE IDEAS!  In your own opinion,  write down in the blank before each expression  a rating from 1 to 6.  On this scale, 1 means you disagree entirely,  3 means you disagree a bit,  4 meaning you agree a bit,  and 6 meaning you agree quite thoroughly.

 

A.    Let the dignity of another person be as beloved in your eyes as your own.- Pirke Avot 2:15

 

B.    Just as a person dislikes any blemish on their own name, so they should avoid damaging someone else’s reputation. - Avot d’Rabbi Natan 15:1

 

C.    Why do human fingers resemble plugs?  So that if one hears something slanderous, one can plug one’s fingers in one’s ears.- Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 5b

D.   Rabbi Yochannan said ‘A person who publicly shames their neighbor is like someone who has shed blood.  To which Rabbi Nakhman answered, ‘You have spoken well. I have seen that when someone is shamed in public, the color leaves their face and they become pale [as if wounded and losing blood].’  Babylonian Talmud, Arakhin 15b

 

E.    Abbaye asked Rabbi Dimi, ‘[When it comes to their Judiasm] what do people in the Land of Israel most carefully try to avoid?’  He answered, ‘Putting others to shame. They feel it would be better for a person to throw themselves into a fiery furnace than publicly put their neighbor to shame.’- Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 58b-59a

F.    The gossip stands in Syria and kills in Rome.- Peah 1:1

 

G.  
  Why is gossip like a three-pronged tongue?  Because it kills three people:  the person who says it, the person who listens to it, and the person about whom it is said. - Babylonian Talmud, Arakhin 15b

 

H. Rabbi Yochanan said, “Anyone who speaks Lashon hara- it is as if they denied the fundamental principle (of Judaism).”- Babylonian Talmud, Arakhin 15b

 

I.       “A person who says of a rabbi that he has a terrible voice and of a cantor that he is not a scholar is a gossip.  But a person who says of a rabbi that he is no scholar and of a cantor that he has a terrible voice is a murderer.”- Rabbi Israel Salanter

 

J.       “Do I need to look behind me before I say it?  If the answer is yes, do not say it.”- Rabbi Abraham Twerski

 

K.     Rav Monah said, “One who utters lashon hara causes the Shekhina (the Divine presence) to flee from humanity.”

Quiz on icky things (blood and skin disease) 

 

1)    How many blood types are there?

a.    4

b.   8

c.    16

d.   32

e.    Dude, we all have the same blood, nobody is better or worse than anyone.

 

2)   What is the correct name for fear of blood?

a.    Bloodophobia

b.   Trypanophobia

c.    Traumataphobia

d.   Hemophobia

e.    Grosssmeoutophoiba

 

3)   Which of the following is not a component of blood?

a.    Yellow Blood Cells

b.   Platelets

c.    White Blood Cells

d.   Red Blood Cells

e.    Plasma.  That’s physics, not biology.

 

4)  The Red Cross, one of three main blood suppliers in the area, is recovering from a 20-year low of blood donations.  How low are they?

a.    15,000 donations

b.   20,000 donations

c.    39,000 donations

d.   48,500 donations

e.    There is no blood shortage, dude, relax, the Red Cross is all stocked up.

 

5)   On average: The human body has about 5 quarts of blood in it. How many of those does a woman lose when giving birth to a baby?

a.    0.5 quarts

b.   1.0 quart

c.    1.5 quarts

d.   2.0 quarts

e.    Women lose blood during childbirth?  Dude.

 

6)  Which of the following are not causes of Acne (pimples)?

a.    Lots of oil in the pores

b.   Dead skin cells in the pores.

c.    Bacterial growth in the pores

d.   Too much sunlight irritating the pores.

e.    Dude, diets high in sugar just feed the pimples.

 

7)   What does the skin disease Alopecia cause?

a.    Loss of skin color

b.   Dry, scaly skin

c.    Loss of hair

d.   Premature grey or white hair

e.    Tibetan Werewolf Syndrome

 

8)  What causes Dandruff?

a.    Being allergic to modern shampoo ingredients

b.   Low oil production levels in the scalp

c.    Yeasts and other micro-organisms in the order Malasseziaceae.

d.   high fat diet

e.    Dude, maybe all of those, but we’re just not sure.

 

9)  Actual leprosy, or Hansen’s disease is terrible and can lead to loss of

a.    Limbs

b.   Sensation in limbs

c.    Sight

d.   Facial features

e.    All of the above, dude.

 

10)                    One of the most common skin diseases is Psoriasis, a chronic, long-lasting inflammation of the skin, which includes the following symptoms:

a.    Patches of thick, red skin with silvery-white scales that burn.

b.   Dry, cracked skin that itches or bleeds.

c.    Thick, ridged, pitted nails.

d.   Poor sleep quality.

e.    All of the above, dude

 

 

 

Rabbi Gail Diamond:  Spiritual Quarantine 

Leviticus 12:1-4 (1) And Adonai spoke to  Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the People Yisrael, saying: If a woman delivers a child, and it is a boy,  then she shall be tamei/unready seven days; and for all  the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be tamei. (3) And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (4) And she shall continue in the blood of purification three and thirty days; she shall touch no holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are complete.

 Rashi on Leviticus 12:2-- דותה Her Sickness— It has the same meaning as medavah/מדוה )root דוה (, malady and sicknes. Here this is termed dotah/ דותה , “her sickness”, because unlike a wound, a woman may not see the loss of blood (after pregnancy),  but rather as with being sick, and as a result of it, she becomes unwell and her head and limbs feel heavy (cf. Niddah 9a).

• Rashi is comparing recovery from pregnancy to illness where a person needs time and space to recover.  Can you think of any other examples of times when giving someone space is a polite or kind thing to do?

 My friend and teacher,  the kind, bright, and creative Rabbi Gail Diamond,  when she taught and led at the Conservative Yeshiva.

Rabbi Gail Diamond of Jerusalem  teaches:  

A 1983 study noted that cultures that had low incidence of postpartum mood disorders had rituals providing support and care for new mothers. These diverse cultures shared five protective social structures: A distinct postpartum period; Protective measures reflecting the new mother's vulnerability; Social seclusion and mandated rest; Functional assistance; and Social recognition of her new role.

We see most of these protective mechanisms in Parashat Tazria. The distinct period provides social seclusion to assist the new mother. Ritual impurity ensures time off from marital relations and a focus on the mother-child bond. Ending this period with a sacrifice, the mother re-enters the community in a visible new status.

While childbirth (in many parts of the world) is no longer the extreme danger to women's health that it once was, post-partum depression continues to be an issue. We can and should work to prevent, treat and heal it - in part by speaking about it and raising awareness. Tazria reminds us of the importance of childbirth and the role the community plays in ensuring the health of mothers and babies. Zot Torat HaYoledet/This is Torah for the one who gave birth.

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• According to Rabbi Diamond, how does this period of separation benefit women?

• What are some factors that we, as a society, should consider when it comes to taking care of women who have just had babies?