Announcements

Rosh Chodesh Kislev

Motzae Shabbat – Sunday

This Week’s Haftara is

the Haftara of

MACHAR CHODESH

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Mazal Tov

to

Hadassah & Benji Taylor

on the birth of their new baby daughter

Chaya Malka

May Hashem shower her with

a lot of berachot & good mazal

Mazal tov

to

proud grandparents

Emmanuella Hodari

&

Antony & Loretta Hodari

May you receive much nachat

from all your children & grandchildren

Special Mazal Tov

to

great-grandmothers

Mrs Emily Jacobs

&

Mrs Nita Hodari

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SHABBAT

Shabbat Times

לוח זמני תפלה לחורףתשע"ח

Winter Timetable 5778 – 2017 / 18

Shabbat Services

Children’s Tehilim straight after Musaf

Anyone wishing to donate a Kiddush Please email Moorlanenews

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Q & A on Parashat Toledot

All references are to the verses and Rashis commentary, unless otherwise stated.

1. Why was it important that Yitzchak look like Avraham?
   25:19 – So everyone would agree that Avraham was indeed his father.
2. Why does the Torah stress that Rivka was Betuel’s daughter and Lavan’s sister?
   25:20 – To praise her, that even though her family was evil she was righteous.
3. What are the two differences between Tamar’s pregnancy and Rivka’s pregnancy?
   25:24 – Rivka gave birth at full term to two children, one righteous and one wicked. Tamar gave birth after seven months to two righteous children.
4. Why was Esav named Esav?
   25:25 – He was born fully developed. The name Esav is based on the Hebrew word for "made".
5. Who gave Yaakov his name?
   25:26 G-d.
6. How did Esav deceive his father?
   25:27 – Esav deceived Yitzchak by asking questions that suggested that he was very strict in mitzvah observance.
7. Why was Esav faint when he returned from the field?
   25:29 – From having murdered.
8. Why are lentils a food for mourners?
   25:30 – They are round like a wheel and mourning is like a revolving wheel that eventually touches everyone.
9. What was the birthright that Yaakov bought from Esav?
   25:31 – The right to bring sacrifices.
10. Why was Yitzchak not permitted to go to Egypt?
    26:2 – Through the akeida he had attained the status of a korban and was forbidden to leave Eretz Canaan.
11. Why did the Philistines plug up the wells?
    26:15 – They felt that either marauders would attack to capture the wells, or, if attacking for other reasons, they would use the wells as a water supply.
12. Why did Yitzchak lose his sight? (three reasons)
    27:1 – a) From the smoke of the incense offered by Esavs wives to their idols; b) From the angels tears which fell into Yitzchaks eyes at the time of the akeida; c) In order for Yaakov to receive the blessings.
13. At what age should one anticipate his own death?
    27:2 – When he reaches five years from the age his parents were when they passed away, until five years after.
14. Why did Rivka ask Yaakov to bring two kid goats?
    27:9 – One for Yitzchak and the other to offer as a korban Pesach.
15. Why did Esav leave his special garments with Rivka?
    27:15 – He suspected that his wives might steal them.
16. What fragrance did Yitzchak detect on Yaakovs garments?
    27:27 – The scent of Gan Eden.
17. What was the "fat of the land" promised to Esav?
    27:36 – Italy.
18. When will Esav be freed from subjugation to Yaakov?
    27:40 – When the Jewish People transgress the Torah.
19. What inspired Esav to marry the daughter of Yishmael?
    28:7 – Seeing that his father despised his current wives, he resolved to take a wife from his father’s family.
20. Knowing that Machalat was Yishmael’s daughter, its self-evident that she was the sister of Nevayot. Why, then, does the Torah state that Esav married "Yishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nevayot?"
    28:9 – To indicate that Yishmael died between her betrothal and her wedding, and that it was Nevayot who gave his sister in marriage to Esav. Knowing the date of Yishmael’s death, we can determine the date of Esav’s marriage and thus Yaakov’s age, 63, at the time of his flight from Esav.

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Halachot from Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Ztz’l

שאלה: האם נכון הדבר שאסור לנשים לעשות מלאכה בראש חודש?

תשובה: אמרו רבותינו בפרקי דרבי אליעזר, שבזמן חטא העגל, אמר אהרן לכל עדת ישראל "פרקו נזמי הזהב אשר באזני נשיכם בניכם ובנותיכם" כדי להתיך את כל הזהב ולעשות ממנו את עגל הזהב. וכששמעו על כך הנשים, לא רצו לתת נזמיהן לבעליהן, ואמרו להם, אתם רוצים לעשות פסל ומסכה תועבת ה’ שאין בו כוח להציל, לא נשמע לכם! ונתן להן הקדוש ברוך הוא שכרן בעולם הזה, שהן משמרות ראשי חודשים יותר מן האנשים, ושכרן לעולם הבא שהן עתידות להתחדש כנשר נעוריהן, כמו המולד של ראשי חדשים. ולפיכך נהגו הנשים שלא לעשות מלאכה בראש חודש. ונאמרו אודות מנהג זה עוד כמה טעמים. והטור הוסיף טעם בשם אחיו רבי יהודה (בעל שו"ת זיכרון יהודה) לפי שהמועדים נתקנו כנגד האבות (שהרי ישנם שלושה מועדים מן התורה, פסח, סוכות ושבועות) ושנים עשר ראשי חדשים נתקנו כנגד שנים עשר השבטים, וכשחטאו ישראל בחטא העגל ניטלו (נלקחו) מהם וניתנו לנשותיהם, לזכר שלא היו באותו החטא.

אולם כתב מרן הרב עובדיה יוסף זצ"ל, שלא נהגו הנשים לאסור עליהן כל מלאכה, אלא רק מלאכות טויה (של חוטים, שהיא מלאכה קשה שהיו נוהגות הנשים לעשותה) וכדומה, וכן כתב הגאון יעב"ץ בספרו מור וקציעה, שמלאכות קלות ממלאכת הנשים ודאי מותרות לעשותן בראש חודש, ולפיכך מותרות גם לכבס במכונת כביסה שאין בה טורח כל כך, ומותרות לסרוג ולתפור לצורך בני ביתן, אבל לא לצורך קבלת שכר מאנשים אחרים. והעובדות והעוסקות במלאכתן לצורך פרנסתן, שאם לא יעבדו בראש חודש יפסידו פרנסתן, מותר להן לעבוד בראש חודש.

בימי הראשונים, היו גם אנשים רבים, שנמנעו מעשיית מלאכה בימי ראש חודש, מכמה טעמים, ולפיכך כתב מרן החיד"א, שאדם הרוצה להחמיר שלא לעשות מלאכה בראש חודש, יחשב לו הדבר לצדקה (כלומר, לזכות מיוחדת) וכתב עוד מרן הרב זצ"ל, שהנוהג שלא לעשות מלאכה בראש חודש, ומקדיש את אותו היום לתורה, אשריו ואשרי חלקו, (ואם רוצה לבטל מנהגו צריך לעשות "התרת נדרים" אם לא אמר שעושה כן "בלי נדר".)

Question: Is it correct that women may not perform work on Rosh Chodesh?

Answer: Our Sages teach us in Pirkei De’Rabbi Eliezer that during the sin of the Golden Calf, Aharon told the entire Jewish nation, “Remove the golden rings from the ears of your wives, sons, and daughters” in order to melt down this gold and use it to form the Golden Calf. When the women heard this, they refused to give their golden jewelry to their husbands and told them, “We shall not allow you to form an idol repulsive to Hashem which cannot save you at all!” Hashem rewarded them in this world by having them observe Rosh Chodesh more than men. Their reward in the World to Come is that their youthfulness shall be rejuvenated like an eagle similar to the “rebirth” of the moon on Rosh Chodesh. It is therefore customary for women not to perform work on Rosh Chodesh. There are several other reasons offered for this custom. The Tur adds in the name of his brother, Rabbeinu Yehuda (author of Responsa Zichron Yehuda), that the festivals correspond to our Patriarchs (as there are three festivals in the Torah: Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot) and the twelve Rashei Chodashim correspond to the twelve tribes. When the Jewish nation sinned in the incident regarding the Golden Calf, Rosh Chodesh was taken away from the men and given to the Jewish women as a commemoration that they were not involved in this sin.

Nevertheless, Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosefzt”l writes that women did not customarily prohibit themselves from performing any kind of work and this only applies to spinning and weaving (threads, which is an intricate and difficult craft) and the like. Indeed, Hagaon Ya’abetz writes in his Sefer Mor Uktzia that any works that are lighter and easier than women’s crafts are certainly permissible on Rosh Chodesh. It is therefore permissible for women to launder clothing in a washing machine, for this is not such a hassle. They are likewise permitted to knit and sew when this is necessary for the members of their household; however, they should not do so for others in order to earn a profit. Those women who work in order to earn a living and will lose money by not working on Rosh Chodesh may indeed work on Rosh Chodesh.

In the times of the Rishonim, there were also many men who abstained from performing work on Rosh Chodesh for several reasons. It is for this reason that Maran Ha’Chida writes that a man who wishes to act stringently and abstain from performing work on Rosh Chodesh is considered especially meritorious. Maran Haravzt”l adds that if a man abstains from performing work on Rosh Chodesh and dedicates the entire day to Torah study is indeed very praiseworthy. (If one wishes to annul this custom and did not say “Bli Neder” before beginning to observe it, one must perform the order of “Annulment of Vows.”)

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