KOHANIM FORBIDDEN TO ATTEND FUNERALS

  For all the perks that being a kohain is, this is one of its negatives.  Unless one is a brother, unmarried sister, child, chas v’shalom, parent or wife, assuming that the wife was permissible for the kohain to marry, if you die, the kohain, no matter how good a friend, cannot attend your funeral.  This does not only apply when he’s working in the Mishkan, this law applies at all times.  Imagine how the kohain would feel when his long time buddy passes on and he can’t participate in the final act of kindness and lay his friend in his final resting place.  How distressed the kohain must be!  How would you feel?  It’s at times like this that I’m glad I’m not a kohain!

 ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS TOO

  Recently we were told that we can’t slaughter a mother and child on the same day.  This not only means that I can’t slaughter the mother sheep and her baby on the same day, but even should I sell one of the animals to a second person, I must inform him that I am slaughtering the mother on a particular day, so as to avoid this prohibition.  He similarly must inform me of the same.  The three explanations that we received for this command was that:

1) It is to safeguard the species from extinction

2) The mother would become emotionally affected seeing her 
child ripped out of her presence, knowing it was for the slaughter.  Apparently they know what the outcome will be.

3) It is to teach us not to be cruel to animals and, all the more so, to people.  To kill both mother and child on the same day would demonstrate a cruelty that could devour our world.  

  MAKE ME PROUD

    Moshe told us that whenever one intentionally violates Hashem’s law, one is desecrating Hashem’s name.  We must never do it, even to the point of death.  Rather we must sanctify Hashem’s name in the midst of the congregation, never relying on the hope of a miracle.  For should we act upon a situation with the assumption that Hashem will save us, not only will we die in the act, but we will, in the end, create a chilul (profane) Hashem.  For example, when Haran saw Avraham survive Nimrod’s furnace, he decided to declare his allegiance to Hashem, because he witnessed the miraculous episode.  But when he entered and subsequently died, he created a chilul Hashem to those watching for they did not understand why Hashem saved one who declared allegiance but not another.  Rather we must follow Hashem’s laws because He told us to, thus publicly sanctifying His name, simply for the reason that He took us out of Egypt.

  MOSHE MADE A MISTAKE?

Dear Editor,  

How could it be that the King of Kings would not want to have fresh bread every day?  

Yet, Moshe came down from “on high” as it were and declared that we should bake twelve loaves of bread, put them on the shulchan—table—leaving them there for an entire week, beginning erev Shabbat.  After the week is up, the kohanim, of course, (like they’re not rich enough already) get to divide the twelve loaves amongst themselves.  While I’m not going to discuss the portion of the kohanim, that’s a separate situation, my only question is why is one supposed to believe, for a second, that Hashem truly issued this command?  It truly doesn’t make sense!  I think that Moshe really messed this one up.

Sincerely,

Shlomit bat Divri’s son

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of this paper.

MAN CONDEMNED TO DIE

  You had to see it coming.  Shlomit’s son really did it this time.  Not only did he question the veracity of Moshe’s words, but now he has publicly blasphemed Hashem’s name.  It all came about because of land apportionment.  The boy felt that since his mother belonged to the tribe of Dan, he also deserved a piece of land, with the rest of the tribe.  His neighbor disagreed with him and ultimately this case arrived in Moshe’s court.  When Shlomit’s son lost, based upon the fact that inheritance only follows the father, he publicly cursed Hashem.  He is to be stoned tomorrow.

Back to Homepage