Parshat Bread, Kohanim, and Parents

 

Start with an opener!- “where you are!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbuikoUmwI8

Choose the form of the destructor!

Puddin cake -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSPP5mH5lxs

Schnitzel-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp1m9iuKYUk

Red velvet truffles-   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa2mP2ok14g

 

 

PARSHA: KIBUD HORIM

1)   From the Torah’s POV, what are parents obligated to do for their children?

 

2)   From the Torah’s point of view, what is the limit of Kibud Horim according to Torah?  Can they forbid you to marry someone? Tell you what to wear?  Make you come to synagogue even though (because you don’t know enough) you find it boring?  Tell you to eat pork on Yom Kippur?     If you have both lost something in a park,  whose item do you look for first-  yours or parents?

 

 

אִ֣ישׁ אִמּ֤וֹ וְאָבִיו֙ תִּירָ֔אוּ וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ אֲנִ֖י ה` אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

You shall each revere his mother and his father, and keep My Shabbatot: I am Adonai your God!   LEVITICUS 19:13

 

 

And My Sabbaths You Shall  Keep — את שבתתי תשמרו

 

Our Teacher Rashi wrote: Scripture places the commandment of observing the Sabbath immediately after that of fearing one’s father and mother in order to suggest the following: “Although I admonish you regarding the fear due to your father and mother, yet if he or she orders you: "Desecrate the Sabbath", do not listen to them” — and the same is the case with any of the other commandments. This, it is evident, is the meaning since Scripture adds — אני ה' אלהיכם “I am the Lord your God" (the plural) — both you and your father are equally bound to honour Me! Do not therefore obey a parent if it results in making My Torah of no value! (from the Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1)

 

 

1-- What do you think about this teaching?   Does it make sense to you to put the sabbath’s holiness before your parents?

 

 

2-- Do you think this was followed in ancient times?   And can it be followed in modern life today?

 

 

3-  In what other situations do you think Judaism says that one may disobey a parent?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 127a, and also in Birchot Ha’Shachar in the Siddur

“These are deeds for which a person enjoys the profits of in this world, while the principal [investment] is kept for the world to come: honoring one's father and mother, performing acts of loving-kindness, being early to the Beit haMidrash/House of Study in the morning and evening, extending hospitality to guests, visiting the sick, providing for the needs of [poor] brides,  escorting the deceased to burial, studying and examining the prayers, and bringing peace between people. And Torah study is equal to them all.” 

 

 

Talmud Bavli, Kiddusin 30a

“The masters taught: There are three partners in a human being’s creation: the Holy One, his father, and his mother. When a man honors his father and his mother, the Holy One says: I account it to them as though I were living at home with them, and they were honoring Me.”

 

What does this say about your connection to God? What does this say about God’s connections to your parents?

Talmud Bavli, Kidushin 31a -32a

 

A.    Rav Ullah said—and also Rabbi Judah said in the name of Samuel: When Rabbi Eliezer was asked, "How far should honoring one's father and mother extend?" he replied, "Go and see what a certain heathen named Dama ben Netinah did for his father in Ashkelon. Once, the sages sought some precious stones from him for the High Priest’s ephod at a profit to Dama of  60,000 gold denari  (about $5 million in Today’s time). But the key to where the stones were kept was under his [sleeping] father's pillow, and he would not disturb him." The following year, however, the Holy One gave him his reward. A red heifer, essential for restarting the service in The Temple, was born to him in his herd. When the sages of Israel visited him [intending to buy it], he said to them, "I know about you. Even if I were to ask all the money in the world, you would pay me. But all I ask of you is the amount I lost because I honored my father."

 

 

B.    Rabbi Abbahu said that when Rabbi Eliezer the Elder was asked by his disciples, "How far should one go in honoring one's father and mother?" he replied, "Go and see what Dama ben Netinah of Ashkelon did. When his mother, who had dementia, hit him with her sandal in the presence of the entire council over which he presided, he merely said to her, 'Enough, Mother.' Moreover, when her sandal [with which she was hitting him] fell from her hand, [he picked it up and] handed it back to her, so that she would not get upset."

 

C.    When Rabbi Dimi came [from Eretz Yisrael to teach in Bavel], he said: Once, while Dama ben Netinah was seated among the notables of Rome, wearing a silk garment embroidered with gold, his mother came, ripped it off him, struck him on the head, and spat in his face. Yet in no way would he put her to shame.

 

D.    When Rabbi Eliezer was asked, "How far is a man to go in honoring his father and mother?" he replied, "So far that, should his parent take a purse of dinari [coins worth $100 each] and toss it into the sea in the child’s presence, the child would not put the parent to shame.”

 

E.    It happened that Rabbi Tarfon's mother went forth on the Sabbath for a walk in her courtyard. When her sandal split [and he could not sew it up then and there because it was the Sabbath], Rabbi Tarfon held his hands under the soles of her feet, and she walked on his hands until she reached her couch. Once, when Rabbi Tarfon took sick and the sages came in to visit him, she said to them, "Pray for my son Rabbi Tarfon, for he treats me with excessive honor." They asked her, "In what way?" So she told them the story. They said, "Even if he had done this a hundred thousand times, he still has not come halfway to showing you the full honor prescribed by the Torah."

 

 

F.    Rabbi Ishmael's mother complained to our masters about Rabbi Ishmael.  Rabbi Ishmael was the Kohen Gadol, a most holy and ethical man who was loved and revered by the Jewish people. She said to them “Please rebuke my son Rabbi Ishmael, for he does not treat me with honor!”  At this, the faces of our masters grew pale, and they said “Is it possible that Rabbi Ishmael does not treat his parents with honor?”  So they asked her “Just what is he doing to you?” She replied “When he leaves the house of study [after his daily time of teaching], I want to wash his feet and drink the water, but he refuses to let me do so.”  The masters said to him “We understand why you said no, but since such is her wish, such is the honor due her [from her son].”

 

 

Talmud Yerushalmi, 1:1 15c

Avimi the son of Rabbi Abbahu said: There is one who gives his father gourmet chickens to eat, yet will inherit Gehenna/Hell; and there is another who sets his father to the heavy labor of grinding at the mill, yet will inherit the Garden of Eden.

How is it possible that one who gives his father gourmet chickens eat should inherit Gehenna? There is the story of one who used to provide gourmet chickens for his father. Once, the father said to him, "My son, where did you get these?" The son replied, "Old man, old man! Just shut up and eat!  Even  dogs shut up when they eat!" Thus, though he gave his father gourmet chicken, he inherited Gehenna.

How is it possible for one to set his father grinding at the mill and yet inherit the Garden of Eden? There is the story of a young man whose work was grinding wheat. When the king sent word that millers be brought to work for him, the young man said to his father, "Father, you go in to the mill to grind in my stead, and I will go do the king's work. Should there be humiliation in it, I would rather be humiliated, and not you; should there be flogging, let me receive the blows, and not you." Thus, though he made his father grind at the mill, the son inherited the Garden of Eden.

This week’s Torah portion, Emor,  explains how each Shabbat in the Mishkan (and then later in the Temple in Jerusalem),  a special bread called “Lechem Ha’panim,” or “Showbread” in English.  Twelve loaves waere baked fresh each Friday in a special shape, and placed on a special golden table in the Temple, in the same room as the Menorah and the incense altar (the ark was in a special room).

 

 

 

1.    For decades,  observant French Jews would buy baguettes from bakeries that had no kosher supervision.  They were comfortable with this because:

a.    The French use butter,  not lard, in baking

b.    The French promised after WWII there would always be bread for the Jews

c.    It was a law in France that baguettes could only have water, flour, salt and yeast in them

d.    The jews of France set up a fund to keep non-kosher ingredients out of these basic breads

e.    Because they were afraid of our glorious leader of the People’s Democratic Republic of North Delaware, Jon Carney!

 

2.    What is the most popular way of making bread in China?

a.    Steaming

b.    Frying

c.    On an-upside down wok

d.    Baking, like everywhere

e.    Dude, people in China eat rice, not bread.

 

3.    Where in the world did archelogists find the oldest bread?  

a.    Ghana

b.    Russia

c.    India

d.    Turkey

e.    No…no… yes!  In the glorious people’s democratic Republic of North Korea!

 

4.    How old was this bread?

a.    5,000 years

b.    8,000 years

c.    10,000 years

d.    50,000 years

e.    250,000 years

 

5.    Where did people in ancient times get yeast for making bread?

a.    The Air

b.    Acorns

c.    Beer

d.    Wine

e.    People in ancient times didn’t use yeast to make bread, dude.

 

6.    What would medieval people NOT do with the Trencher,  the flat, plate-like square of stale bread they ate off of,  after the meal?

a.    Feed it to the pigs

b.    Feed it to the dogs

c.    Eat it themselves

d.    Give it to the poor

e.    Dude,  trenchers were  made of wood, not bread. It was a plate.

 

7.    Which of the following is not a modern additive into commercial breads?

a.    Dihydrogen Monoxide

b.    L-cysteine

c.    sodium metabisulfite,

d.    potassium bromate

e.    ascorbic acid

8.    What gives pumpernickel its deep brown color?

a.    Moleasses instead of sugar

b.    Brown sugar instead of white sugar

c.    Toasting the flour for hours

d.    Baking the bread low and slow

e.    Caramel coloring and coffee

 

9.    What do most people think is the most traditional Jewish Bread besides Challah and Matzah?

a.    Pumpernickle

b.    Onion Bread

c.    Bagels

d.    Rye Bread

e.    Coppia Ferrarese

 

10.  Sweet, yeasted,  braided, and made  of fine white flour for shabbat, challah was adopted from German culture in which century?

a.    1^st century (2000 years ago)

b.    4^th century (1600 years ago)

c.    16^th century  (400 years ago)

d.    19^th century (200 years ago)

e.    Dude,  the showbread in the temple was challah.

 

 

11. What is one otherwise kosher ingredient that authentic challah will never have?

a.    Egg whites

b.    Milk

c.    Garlic

d.    Potato flour

e.    Tears

 

 

 

Parsha: KOHANIM

a)  what s  sthis--- 

http://www.crcweb.org/kohain_guide_museums.php

 

 BLESSING BEE.  Anything that has a blessing for it or on it.

food or events  or natural things or life cycle events or  ritual acts

 

b)   vs blessing people. NB Gen 27:36,32:26,  Num 6:23-24 

 

c)    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3tXSX_ltDI

d)     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlUJ3yPdQI

e)    See the parsha

f)       Can women do these things?  . 

h)   One other thing Kohanim do--Pidyon Haben-  something you have NEVER heard of?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwd08M7pr3A

i)     When we echo the kohanim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X18n6c3C-Qs

 

 

Emor, Ch 21 vv 1- 8

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו׃ Adonai said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his kin,

כִּ֚י אִם־לִשְׁאֵר֔וֹ הַקָּרֹ֖ב אֵלָ֑יו לְאִמּ֣וֹ וּלְאָבִ֔יו וְלִבְנ֥וֹ וּלְבִתּ֖וֹ וּלְאָחִֽיו׃  except for the relatives that are closest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

וְלַאֲחֹת֤וֹ הַבְּתוּלָה֙ הַקְּרוֹבָ֣ה אֵלָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הָיְתָ֖ה לְאִ֑ישׁ לָ֖הּ יִטַּמָּֽא׃  also for an unmarried sister, close to him because she has not married, for her he may defile himself.

לֹ֥א יִטַּמָּ֖א בַּ֣עַל בְּעַמָּ֑יו לְהֵ֖חַלּֽוֹ׃  But he shall not defile himself as a kinsman by marriage, and so profane himself.

לֹֽא־יקרחה [יִקְרְח֤וּ] קָרְחָה֙ בְּרֹאשָׁ֔ם וּפְאַ֥ת זְקָנָ֖ם לֹ֣א יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ וּבִ֨בְשָׂרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יִשְׂרְט֖וּ שָׂרָֽטֶת׃ They shall not shave smooth any part of their heads, or cut the side-growth of their beards, or make gashes in their flesh.

קְדֹשִׁ֤ים יִהְיוּ֙ לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א יְחַלְּל֔וּ שֵׁ֖ם אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם כִּי֩ אֶת־אִשֵּׁ֨י יְהוָ֜ה לֶ֧חֶם אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם הֵ֥ם מַקְרִיבִ֖ם וְהָ֥יוּ קֹֽדֶשׁ׃  They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the LORD’s offerings by fire, the food of their God, and so must be holy.

אִשָּׁ֨ה זֹנָ֤ה וַחֲלָלָה֙ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֔חוּ וְאִשָּׁ֛ה גְּרוּשָׁ֥ה מֵאִישָׁ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑חוּ כִּֽי־קָדֹ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לֵאלֹהָֽיו׃  They shall not marry a woman defiled by harlotry, nor shall they marry one divorced from her husband. For they are holy to their God

וְקִדַּשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־אֶת־לֶ֥חֶם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ ה֣וּא מַקְרִ֑יב קָדֹשׁ֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֔ךְ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ and you must treat them as holy, since they offer the food of your God; they shall be holy to you, for I the LORD who sanctify you am holy.