Announcements

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CST COURSE

Jonny Basger Regional Security Manager Community Security Trust (CST)
Office 0161 792 6666 PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW NATIONAL EMERGENCY (24HR) NUMBER 0800 032 3263 www.cst.org.uk

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SHABBAT

Shabbat Times

לוח זמני תפלה לקיץ תשע"ט

Summer
Timetable 5779 – 2019

*    For those not in the Bet Hakeneset, but wishing to
bring in Shabbat with the Kahal, candles should be lit about 30 minutes after
the time listed for Minha and Kabbalat Shabbat. (Unless the time listed in the ‘latest
candle lighting’ column is earlier, when candles should be lit by that time, in all
cases.)

Youth Club

Avot Ubanim 5:00 pm

Pirke Avot 5:50 pm

Mincha 6:00 pm

Followed by
Shiur

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Anyone wishing
to donate a Kiddush Please email Moorlanenews

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Q
& A on Parashat Chukat

All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated

1. "Take a perfect Para Aduma (red heifer)." What does the word "perfect" temima mean in this context?
   19:2 – Perfectly red.
2. How many non-red hairs disqualify a cow as a Para Aduma?
   19:2 – Two.
3. man dies in a tent. What happens to the sealed metal and earthenware utensils in the tent?
   19:14,15 – The metal utensils are impure for seven days, even if they are sealed. The sealed earthenware vessels are unaffected.
4. What happens to the one who: a) sprinkles the water mixed with the ashes of the Para Aduma; b) touches the water; c) carries the water?
   19:21 – a) Remains tahor; b) He, but not his clothing, contracts tumah; c) He and his clothing contract tumah.
5. Why was the mitzvah of the Para Aduma entrusted to Elazar rather than to Aharon?
   19:22 – Because Aharon was involved in the sin of the Golden Calf.
6. Why does the Torah stress that all of the congregation came to Midbar Tzin?
   20:1 – To teach that they were all fit to enter the Land; everyone involved in the sin of the spies already died.
7. Why is Miriam's death taught after the law of Para Aduma?
   20:1 – To teach that just as sacrifices bring atonement, so too does the death of the righteous.
8. During their journey in the midbar, in whose merit did the Jewish People receive water?
   20:2 – Miriam's.
9. Why did Moshe need to strike the rock a second time?
   20:11 – After he hit it the first time, only a few drops came out since he was commanded to speak to the rock.
10. When Moshe told the King of Edom that the Jewish People would not drink from the well-water, to which well did he refer? What do we learn from this?
    20:17 – To the well that traveled with the nation in the midbar. This teaches that one who has adequate provisions should nevertheless purchase goods from his host in order to benefit the host.
11. The cloud that led the Jewish People leveled all mountains in their path except three. Which three and why?
    20:22 – Har Sinai for receiving the Torah, Har Nevo for Moshe's burial, and Hor Hahar for Aharon's burial.
12. Why did the entire congregation mourn Aharon's death?
    20:29 – Aharon made peace between contending parties and between spouses. Thus, everybody mourned him.
13. What disappeared when Aharon died?
    20:29 – The clouds of glory disappeared, since they sheltered the Jews in Aharon's merit.
14. Which "inhabitant of the South" (21:1) attacked the Jews?
    21:1 – Amalek.
15. For what two reasons did G-d punish the people with snakes specifically?
    21:6 – The original snake, which was punished for speaking evil, is fitting to punish those who spoke evil about G-d and about Moshe. And the snake, to which everything tastes like dust, is fitting to punish those who complained about the manna which changed to any desired taste.
16. Why did the Jewish People camp in Arnon, rather than pass through Moav to enter Eretz Canaan?
    21:13 – Moav refused them passage.
17. What miracle took place at the valley of Arnon?
    21:15 – The Amorites hid in caves in the mountain on the Moabite side of the valley in order to ambush the Jews. When the Jews approached, the mountain on the Eretz Canaan side of the valley moved close to the other mountain and the Amorites were crushed.
18. What was the "strength" of Amon that prevented the Jewish People from entering into their Land?
    21:24 – G-d's command, "Do not harass them" (Devarim 2:19).
19. Why was Moshe afraid of Og?
    21:34 – Og had once been of service to Avraham. Moshe was afraid that this merit would assist Og in battle.
20. Who killed Og?
    21:35 – Moshe.

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Halachot
from Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Ztz'l

 חינוך הילדים והבאתם לבית הכנסת

שאלה: האם יש
חיוב על פי ההלכה, לילדים קטנים, להתפלל בכל יום שלש תפלות, שחרית מנחה וערבית?
והאם נכון להביא את הילדים לבית הכנסת לתפלות הימים הנוראים?

תשובה: במשנה
במסכת ברכות (דף כ ע"ב) שנינו: נשים ועבדים וקטנים, חייבין בתפלה. ופירש רש"י, שמכיון שהתפלה ענינה בקשת רחמים מהשם
יתברך, תקנו אותה רבותינו אף לנשים ולקטנים. כלומר, אף על פי שהיה הדין נותן לפטור
את הנשים ממצות תפלה, מכיון שהתפלה היא בכלל "מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא",
(כלומר, מצוה שהיא בקום ועשה, והיא תלויה בזמן מסויים, שחרית בבוקר, מנחה בצהריים,
וכן הלאה. הרי נשים פטורות ממצוה זו), מכל מקום חייבו
חכמים את האשה במצות תפלה,
מכיון שאף האשה זקוקה לרחמי ה' כמו
האיש, ולכן אין סברא לפטרה ממצוה זו.
וכבר כתבנו בזה במקום אחר.

וכן מבואר, שגם הקטנים, שהם
זקוקים לרחמי ה' יתברך, חייבים במצות תפלה. וכשם שחובה על הגדולים לחנך את הקטנים
בכל המצות כולן, כמו כן חובה לחנכם למצות תפלה, שהרי בכל המצות
כולן, בין מצות שהן מן התורה, ובין מצות שהן מדברי רבותינו, חובה לחנך
ולהרגיל בהן את הקטנים, מצד מצות חינוך, וכן הדין לענין מצות התפלה.

ומכיון שאין חילוק במצות חינוך, בין מצוות שהן
מן התורה, למצות שהן מדברי רבותינו,
לפיכך נראה, שאף על פי שמן התורה
די בתפלה אחת בכל יום, וכן הנשים אינן מחוייבות אלא בתפלה אחת בכל יום, מכל מקום
ילדים קטנים (בנים), יש לחנכם להתפלל שלש תפלות בכל יום. שחרית, מנחה וערבית.

וכן היה נוהג מרן רבינו עובדיה יוסף זצ"ל
(הכ"מ), שהיה נזהר לחנך את בניו מאז שהיו יודעים היטב לקרוא, שיתפללו בכל יום
כל שלשת התפלות. (ילקוט יוסף תפלה ח"א עמוד תקח). 

ואת הבנות יש לחנך שתתפלנה בכל יום לכל הפחות
תפלה אחת, ונכון שתהיה זו תפלת שחרית, עם ברכות השחר וקריאת שמע ותפלת שמונה עשרה.
(וכשאומרות פסוקי דזמרה וברכות קריאת שמע, לא יברכו בשם ומלכות, וכמו שביארנו בעבר).

ואמנם יש להעיר, שאם רואה האב שהדבר מכביד מאד
על בנו, צריך להזהר מאד שלא להמאיס בעיניו את ענין התפלה, ולפעמים יש להתייעץ עם
מחנכים מנוסים, עד כמה יש לדרוש מהילדים להתפלל, בתחילה תפלה אחת, ואחר כך שניים,
כלומר, שחרית ומנחה, ורק אחר יתחיל לחנכו גם במצות תפלת ערבית. 

ובענין הגיל, שיש לחנך בו את
הקטנים להתפלל. כתב הפרי מגדים שהוא מגיל שש או שבע. והכוונה בזה, בכל
ילד לפי חריפות שכלו, ולפי כשרונותיו ובגרותו, שלא כל ילד ניתן לחנכו לשלש תפלות
מיד בתחילת לימוד הקריאה, אלא כל ילד יש לו את הטבע שלו, את מדותיו ואת רמת הבנתו,
עד שניתן לדרוש ממנו להתפלל כל יום שלש תפלות, ולהשתדל שיהיה הדבר בנעימות ושמחה.

תפלות הימים הנוראים, הן ארוכות יותר, ולכן, את
הילדים הגדולים, ודאי שיש להביא לתפלות אלה, לחנכם במצות התפלה, אבל הקטנים ביותר,
אין להביאם לבית הכנסת, ואותם שהם בני חמש או שש שנים ובכל זאת באים לבית הכנסת,
יש לדאוג שיבואו להחזירם לביתם אחר זמן מה, כי על פי רוב הם אינם מסוגלים לשבת
שעות רבות בשקט במקומם, ובודאי שהייתם בבית הכנסת תגרום להפרעה לשאר המתפללים

Educating Children Regarding the Mitzvah of Prayer

Question: Is there a halachic requirement for children to pray
three times a day, namely, Shacharit, Mincha, and Arvit? Similarly, is it
correct to bring children to the synagogue during the High Holidays?

Answer: The Mishnah (Berachot 20b) tells us: “Women, slaves, and
children are obligated to pray.” Rashi explains that since the purpose of
prayer is to request mercy from Hashem, our Sages instituted it even for women
and children. This means that although according to the letter of the law, it
would seem that women should be exempt from praying since it falls into the
category of “Positive time-bound Mitzvot” from which women are exempt (as
Shacharit is prayed in the morning, Mincha in the afternoon, etc.),
nevertheless, the Sages obligated women to pray since they are also in need of
Hashem’s mercy just like men; thus, there is not enough of a reason to exempt
them from this Mitzvah. We have already discussed this elsewhere.

Based on this, children, who
are also dependent on the mercy of Hashem, are also obligated to pray. Just as
it is a Mitzvah upon adults to educate and train their children regarding all
other Mitzvot, it is also incumbent on adults to educate them regarding this
Mitzvah, for regarding all Mitzvot, whether Biblical or rabbinic in nature, one
is required to train one’s children to perform them so that they may become
acquainted with them; the Mitzvah of prayer is no different.

Since, regarding the Mitzvah
of educating one’s children to perform the Mitzvot, there is no distinction
between Torah and rabbinic commandments, it would thus seem that although the
Torah obligation is to pray only one prayer daily and indeed women are only
required to pray once daily, nevertheless, young boys should be trained to pray
three times daily: Shacharit, Mincha, and Arvit.

This was indeed the custom of
Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l who would educate his sons to pray all
three daily prayers as soon as they learned to read (Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah,
Volume 1, page 508).

Girls should be trained to
pray at least once a day, preferably the Shacharit prayer which includes in it
the Birkot Ha’Shachar (morning blessings), Keri’at Shema, and the
Amida prayer. (When reciting the Pesukei De’Zimra and the blessing
before and after Keri’at Shema, girls and women should omit the name of
Hashem from the blessings in these places, as we have discussed in the past.)

Nevertheless, we must point
out that if the father notices that this is overburdening the child, one must
be exceedingly careful not to make the child revolted by prayer. A parent must
always consult with wise and experienced educators as to how much a child
should be expected to pray; one should start by training the child with one
prayer in the beginning, then two (meaning Shacharit and Mincha), and only then
should he start training him to pray Arvit.

Regarding the age that one
should start training his children to pray, the Peri Megadim writes that the
proper age is from the age of six or seven. What this means is that every child
must be individually evaluated based on his intelligence, talents, and
maturity, for not every child can handle praying three prayers a day
immediately upon being taught to read. Every child must be judged by his own
capabilities, characteristics, and level of understanding, until he reaches a
point when he can be expected to pray three times a day through happiness and
serenity.

Since the High Holiday prayers
are longer than usual, although older children should certainly be brought to
the synagogue to pray in order to educate them in the Mitzvah of prayer,
younger children should nevertheless not be brought to the synagogue. If one
brings his children of five or six years old who are brought to the synagogue
in any event, one should make certain to take them home after a while, for in
most cases, such young children are unable to sit quietly for hours on end and
their presence in the synagogue will certainly disturb the prayer of other
congregants.

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