Facts About Judaism

[irosie91]

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries.

Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him (the principal), executing his wishes. The agent, however, can only do that which the principal himself is authorized to do.

So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when we as non-kohanim are not permitted to serve there?

Potential vs. Actual
The parashah opens with a set of special directives for kohanim: “God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron...” (Lev. 21:1). The text appears repetitive - “the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.” Why does the text need to emphasize that the kohanim are descendants of Aaron?

These two terms - “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron” indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, passed down from father to son. The phrase “sons of Aaron” refers to this inherent holiness.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness as expressed by a kohen’s actual service in the Temple. This aspect is designated by the term “kohanim.” The verb le-khahein means “to serve,” so the word “kohanim” refers to their actual service in the Temple. Thus the term “sons of Aaron” refers to the kohanim’s inherited potential, while “kohanim” refers to their actualized state of priestly service.

The Chalal
Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness. Yet there are certain situations that allow us to distinguish between the two.

A kohen is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. Should he nonetheless marry a divorcee, his son falls into a special category. He is called a chalal, from the word chilul, “to defile holiness.” Despite his lineage as the son of a kohen, a chalal may not serve in the Temple.

Yet if a chalal went ahead and offered a korban, his offerings are accepted after the fact (Maimonides, Bi'at Mikdash 6:10). This is quite surprising. In general, a chalal has the legal status of a non-kohen. If a non-kohen brought an offering, his service would be disqualified. Why are a chalal’s offerings accepted?

The distinction between potential and actual kohanic status, between “sons of Aaron” and “kohanim,” allows us to understand the unusual status of a chalal. Due to the fact that he is the son of a divorcee, he has lost the actualized sanctity of a functioning kohen. But he still retains the inherited sanctity as a “son of Aaron.” 1 This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked. Therefore, while a chalal should not serve in the Temple, his offerings are accepted after the fact.

The Sages derived this ruling from Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Levi:

“May God bless his strength (cheilo), and favor the acts of his hands” (Deut. 33:11).

Even the acts of those who are chulin, who have lost part of their kohanic sanctity, are still acceptable to God (Kiddushin 66b).


Our Agents
We may now understand the description of kohanim as sheluchei didan, “our agents.” How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as “a kingdom of kohanim” (Ex. 19:6). And Isaiah foresaw a future time in which “You will be called God’s kohanim. They will speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Temple, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has the quality of potential kohanic holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called “God’s kohanim.” And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents and perform the Temple service on our behalf.

Israel’s Future Holiness
This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of Birkat kohanim, the special priestly benediction (as described in Num. 6:23-27). The purpose of their blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic holiness that resides within each member of the Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out toward Israel’s future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms - their zero'a netuyah - point to a future era, whose seeds (zera) are planted in the present.

“Via the established sanctity of kohanim in the nation, the entire nation will come to be a complete “kingdom of kohanim and a holy people” (Olat Re’iyah vol. I, p. 61)

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

www.israelnationalnews.com

I recall reading several years ago a story in the Jewish Press
about a young woman who sincerely converted to Judaism for the sake of heaven. She falls in love with a Jewish man -- naturally, who else would she fall in love with, a Buddhist? -- and they decide to get married. Before the wedding they go visit the cemetery where the man's grandparents are buried. Upon reading the lettering on the gravestone, she realizes that her prospective husband is a kohen. She remembered reading in her Judaic studies something about a kohen being forbidden to marry a proselyte; they go to a rabbi to make sure, and with a heavy heart the rabbi assures them: "Yes, as a kohen, he is prohibited from marrying you." With tears streaming down her face, the young woman turns to the man who was to be her husband and tells him to please never to call her again, and she rushes out the door.

The story tears at the heart. What ever became of this virtuous, young woman, who for the sake of heaven (Halakhah) abandoned love? Did she ever marry ... or, like many of the walking wounded, hide her countenance from ever finding love again? One can only hope for the former, and may her children be Torah scholars!

I think you got that wrong-----a cohen CAN marry
a convert-----what he cannot marry is a jew of illegitimate birth or a divorced jew

 

[rylah]

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries.

Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him (the principal), executing his wishes. The agent, however, can only do that which the principal himself is authorized to do.

So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when we as non-kohanim are not permitted to serve there?

Potential vs. Actual
The parashah opens with a set of special directives for kohanim: “God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron...” (Lev. 21:1). The text appears repetitive - “the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.” Why does the text need to emphasize that the kohanim are descendants of Aaron?

These two terms - “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron” indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, passed down from father to son. The phrase “sons of Aaron” refers to this inherent holiness.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness as expressed by a kohen’s actual service in the Temple. This aspect is designated by the term “kohanim.” The verb le-khahein means “to serve,” so the word “kohanim” refers to their actual service in the Temple. Thus the term “sons of Aaron” refers to the kohanim’s inherited potential, while “kohanim” refers to their actualized state of priestly service.

The Chalal
Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness. Yet there are certain situations that allow us to distinguish between the two.

A kohen is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. Should he nonetheless marry a divorcee, his son falls into a special category. He is called a chalal, from the word chilul, “to defile holiness.” Despite his lineage as the son of a kohen, a chalal may not serve in the Temple.

Yet if a chalal went ahead and offered a korban, his offerings are accepted after the fact (Maimonides, Bi'at Mikdash 6:10). This is quite surprising. In general, a chalal has the legal status of a non-kohen. If a non-kohen brought an offering, his service would be disqualified. Why are a chalal’s offerings accepted?

The distinction between potential and actual kohanic status, between “sons of Aaron” and “kohanim,” allows us to understand the unusual status of a chalal. Due to the fact that he is the son of a divorcee, he has lost the actualized sanctity of a functioning kohen. But he still retains the inherited sanctity as a “son of Aaron.” 1 This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked. Therefore, while a chalal should not serve in the Temple, his offerings are accepted after the fact.

The Sages derived this ruling from Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Levi:

“May God bless his strength (cheilo), and favor the acts of his hands” (Deut. 33:11).

Even the acts of those who are chulin, who have lost part of their kohanic sanctity, are still acceptable to God (Kiddushin 66b).


Our Agents
We may now understand the description of kohanim as sheluchei didan, “our agents.” How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as “a kingdom of kohanim” (Ex. 19:6). And Isaiah foresaw a future time in which “You will be called God’s kohanim. They will speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Temple, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has the quality of potential kohanic holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called “God’s kohanim.” And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents and perform the Temple service on our behalf.

Israel’s Future Holiness
This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of Birkat kohanim, the special priestly benediction (as described in Num. 6:23-27). The purpose of their blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic holiness that resides within each member of the Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out toward Israel’s future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms - their zero'a netuyah - point to a future era, whose seeds (zera) are planted in the present.

“Via the established sanctity of kohanim in the nation, the entire nation will come to be a complete “kingdom of kohanim and a holy people” (Olat Re’iyah vol. I, p. 61)

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

www.israelnationalnews.com

I recall reading several years ago a story in the Jewish Press
about a young woman who sincerely converted to Judaism for the sake of heaven. She falls in love with a Jewish man -- naturally, who else would she fall in love with, a Buddhist? -- and they decide to get married. Before the wedding they go visit the cemetery where the man's grandparents are buried. Upon reading the lettering on the gravestone, she realizes that her prospective husband is a kohen. She remembered reading in her Judaic studies something about a kohen being forbidden to marry a proselyte; they go to a rabbi to make sure, and with a heavy heart the rabbi assures them: "Yes, as a kohen, he is prohibited from marrying you." With tears streaming down her face, the young woman turns to the man who was to be her husband and tells him to please never to call her again, and she rushes out the door.

The story tears at the heart. What ever became of this virtuous, young woman, who for the sake of heaven (Halakhah) abandoned love? Did she ever marry ... or, like many of the walking wounded, hide her countenance from ever finding love again? One can only hope for the former, and may her children be Torah scholars!

I think you got that wrong-----a cohen CAN marry
a convert-----what he cannot marry is a jew of illegitimate birth or a divorced jew

I've read a Psak of a Cohen several days ago, who already lived with a convert woman.
He brought various arguments, but even though the court accepted some of them,
the Beit Din couldn't find them as basis to allow the marriage.

If I understood correctly, if her mother converted before she turned 3, or before birth,
the marriage would be allowed. Otherwise, and without other heavy circumstance,
this is a Torah prohibition, which doesn't allow the Beit Din to abstain.

 

[Mindful]

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries.

Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him (the principal), executing his wishes. The agent, however, can only do that which the principal himself is authorized to do.

So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when we as non-kohanim are not permitted to serve there?

Potential vs. Actual
The parashah opens with a set of special directives for kohanim: “God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron...” (Lev. 21:1). The text appears repetitive - “the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.” Why does the text need to emphasize that the kohanim are descendants of Aaron?

These two terms - “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron” indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, passed down from father to son. The phrase “sons of Aaron” refers to this inherent holiness.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness as expressed by a kohen’s actual service in the Temple. This aspect is designated by the term “kohanim.” The verb le-khahein means “to serve,” so the word “kohanim” refers to their actual service in the Temple. Thus the term “sons of Aaron” refers to the kohanim’s inherited potential, while “kohanim” refers to their actualized state of priestly service.

The Chalal
Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness. Yet there are certain situations that allow us to distinguish between the two.

A kohen is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. Should he nonetheless marry a divorcee, his son falls into a special category. He is called a chalal, from the word chilul, “to defile holiness.” Despite his lineage as the son of a kohen, a chalal may not serve in the Temple.

Yet if a chalal went ahead and offered a korban, his offerings are accepted after the fact (Maimonides, Bi'at Mikdash 6:10). This is quite surprising. In general, a chalal has the legal status of a non-kohen. If a non-kohen brought an offering, his service would be disqualified. Why are a chalal’s offerings accepted?

The distinction between potential and actual kohanic status, between “sons of Aaron” and “kohanim,” allows us to understand the unusual status of a chalal. Due to the fact that he is the son of a divorcee, he has lost the actualized sanctity of a functioning kohen. But he still retains the inherited sanctity as a “son of Aaron.” 1 This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked. Therefore, while a chalal should not serve in the Temple, his offerings are accepted after the fact.

The Sages derived this ruling from Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Levi:

“May God bless his strength (cheilo), and favor the acts of his hands” (Deut. 33:11).

Even the acts of those who are chulin, who have lost part of their kohanic sanctity, are still acceptable to God (Kiddushin 66b).


Our Agents
We may now understand the description of kohanim as sheluchei didan, “our agents.” How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as “a kingdom of kohanim” (Ex. 19:6). And Isaiah foresaw a future time in which “You will be called God’s kohanim. They will speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Temple, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has the quality of potential kohanic holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called “God’s kohanim.” And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents and perform the Temple service on our behalf.

Israel’s Future Holiness
This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of Birkat kohanim, the special priestly benediction (as described in Num. 6:23-27). The purpose of their blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic holiness that resides within each member of the Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out toward Israel’s future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms - their zero'a netuyah - point to a future era, whose seeds (zera) are planted in the present.

“Via the established sanctity of kohanim in the nation, the entire nation will come to be a complete “kingdom of kohanim and a holy people” (Olat Re’iyah vol. I, p. 61)

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

www.israelnationalnews.com

I recall reading several years ago a story in the Jewish Press
about a young woman who sincerely converted to Judaism for the sake of heaven. She falls in love with a Jewish man -- naturally, who else would she fall in love with, a Buddhist? -- and they decide to get married. Before the wedding they go visit the cemetery where the man's grandparents are buried. Upon reading the lettering on the gravestone, she realizes that her prospective husband is a kohen. She remembered reading in her Judaic studies something about a kohen being forbidden to marry a proselyte; they go to a rabbi to make sure, and with a heavy heart the rabbi assures them: "Yes, as a kohen, he is prohibited from marrying you." With tears streaming down her face, the young woman turns to the man who was to be her husband and tells him to please never to call her again, and she rushes out the door.

The story tears at the heart. What ever became of this virtuous, young woman, who for the sake of heaven (Halakhah) abandoned love? Did she ever marry ... or, like many of the walking wounded, hide her countenance from ever finding love again? One can only hope for the former, and may her children be Torah scholars!

I think you got that wrong-----a cohen CAN marry
a convert-----what he cannot marry is a jew of illegitimate birth or a divorced jew

I've read a Psak of a Cohen several days ago, who already lived with a convert woman.
He brought various arguments, but even though the court accepted some of them,
the Beit Din couldn't find them as basis to allow the marriage.

If I understood correctly, if her mother converted before she turned 3, or before birth,
the marriage would be allowed. Otherwise, and without other heavy circumstance,
this is a Torah prohibition, which doesn't allow the Beit Din to abstain.

My friend, an American, is one.

He can’t attend funerals, but we enjoyed Lord of the Rings together. And Thai restaurants.

 

[rylah]

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries.

Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him (the principal), executing his wishes. The agent, however, can only do that which the principal himself is authorized to do.

So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when we as non-kohanim are not permitted to serve there?

Potential vs. Actual
The parashah opens with a set of special directives for kohanim: “God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron...” (Lev. 21:1). The text appears repetitive - “the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.” Why does the text need to emphasize that the kohanim are descendants of Aaron?

These two terms - “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron” indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, passed down from father to son. The phrase “sons of Aaron” refers to this inherent holiness.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness as expressed by a kohen’s actual service in the Temple. This aspect is designated by the term “kohanim.” The verb le-khahein means “to serve,” so the word “kohanim” refers to their actual service in the Temple. Thus the term “sons of Aaron” refers to the kohanim’s inherited potential, while “kohanim” refers to their actualized state of priestly service.

The Chalal
Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness. Yet there are certain situations that allow us to distinguish between the two.

A kohen is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. Should he nonetheless marry a divorcee, his son falls into a special category. He is called a chalal, from the word chilul, “to defile holiness.” Despite his lineage as the son of a kohen, a chalal may not serve in the Temple.

Yet if a chalal went ahead and offered a korban, his offerings are accepted after the fact (Maimonides, Bi'at Mikdash 6:10). This is quite surprising. In general, a chalal has the legal status of a non-kohen. If a non-kohen brought an offering, his service would be disqualified. Why are a chalal’s offerings accepted?

The distinction between potential and actual kohanic status, between “sons of Aaron” and “kohanim,” allows us to understand the unusual status of a chalal. Due to the fact that he is the son of a divorcee, he has lost the actualized sanctity of a functioning kohen. But he still retains the inherited sanctity as a “son of Aaron.” 1 This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked. Therefore, while a chalal should not serve in the Temple, his offerings are accepted after the fact.

The Sages derived this ruling from Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Levi:

“May God bless his strength (cheilo), and favor the acts of his hands” (Deut. 33:11).

Even the acts of those who are chulin, who have lost part of their kohanic sanctity, are still acceptable to God (Kiddushin 66b).


Our Agents
We may now understand the description of kohanim as sheluchei didan, “our agents.” How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as “a kingdom of kohanim” (Ex. 19:6). And Isaiah foresaw a future time in which “You will be called God’s kohanim. They will speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Temple, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has the quality of potential kohanic holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called “God’s kohanim.” And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents and perform the Temple service on our behalf.

Israel’s Future Holiness
This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of Birkat kohanim, the special priestly benediction (as described in Num. 6:23-27). The purpose of their blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic holiness that resides within each member of the Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out toward Israel’s future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms - their zero'a netuyah - point to a future era, whose seeds (zera) are planted in the present.

“Via the established sanctity of kohanim in the nation, the entire nation will come to be a complete “kingdom of kohanim and a holy people” (Olat Re’iyah vol. I, p. 61)

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

www.israelnationalnews.com

I recall reading several years ago a story in the Jewish Press
about a young woman who sincerely converted to Judaism for the sake of heaven. She falls in love with a Jewish man -- naturally, who else would she fall in love with, a Buddhist? -- and they decide to get married. Before the wedding they go visit the cemetery where the man's grandparents are buried. Upon reading the lettering on the gravestone, she realizes that her prospective husband is a kohen. She remembered reading in her Judaic studies something about a kohen being forbidden to marry a proselyte; they go to a rabbi to make sure, and with a heavy heart the rabbi assures them: "Yes, as a kohen, he is prohibited from marrying you." With tears streaming down her face, the young woman turns to the man who was to be her husband and tells him to please never to call her again, and she rushes out the door.

The story tears at the heart. What ever became of this virtuous, young woman, who for the sake of heaven (Halakhah) abandoned love? Did she ever marry ... or, like many of the walking wounded, hide her countenance from ever finding love again? One can only hope for the former, and may her children be Torah scholars!

I think you got that wrong-----a cohen CAN marry
a convert-----what he cannot marry is a jew of illegitimate birth or a divorced jew

I've read a Psak of a Cohen several days ago, who already lived with a convert woman.
He brought various arguments, but even though the court accepted some of them,
the Beit Din couldn't find them as basis to allow the marriage.

If I understood correctly, if her mother converted before she turned 3, or before birth,
the marriage would be allowed. Otherwise, and without other heavy circumstance,
this is a Torah prohibition, which doesn't allow the Beit Din to abstain.

My friend, an American, is one.

He can’t attend funerals, but we enjoyed Lord of the Rings together. And Thai restaurants.

My neighbor in the shul.
His family made Aliyah from Jerba,
it's this island, a town full of Cohanim, an ancient community.

The guy wakes the entire shul to sunrise prayers, takes the Rabbi and always there before anyone. Huge like a mountain, and a wide heart, just like they describe a typical Cohen.
It's like radiating from him, like You know this is someone one can trust with serving
Your offering, most naturally fitting duty.

 

[rylah]

Ashkenazi Jews Must Stop Identifying As White/European

In an ideal world, race, skin color, and ethnic origin would have no relevance.

But that is not the world we live in. Racism is and remains alive and well throughout the globe.

Anti-Semitism is a potent and deadly breed of racism, having nestled itself comfortably within the guise of anti-racism, anti-colonialism, minority rights, and social justice.

As with past anti-Semitic paroxysms, it has infiltrated the most pressing and relevant conversations of our day, transforming them from the inside out and deftly harnessing their power to cast us as the arch-villains once more.

That’s why this conversation is super important.

Read full story:

Ashkenazi Jews Must Stop Identifying As White/European

From the blog of Dani Ishai Behan at The Times of Israel

blogs.timesofisrael.com

 

[rylah]

Compelling Evidence for God: Jewish History

Can a rational person believe in God? Ollie presents compelling evidence for the existence of a Higher Power through a quick analysis of Jewish history and the way in which it was clearly foreseen by the Hebrew Bible.

 

[irosie91]

Ashkenazi Jews Must Stop Identifying As White/European

In an ideal world, race, skin color, and ethnic origin would have no relevance.

But that is not the world we live in. Racism is and remains alive and well throughout the globe.

Anti-Semitism is a potent and deadly breed of racism, having nestled itself comfortably within the guise of anti-racism, anti-colonialism, minority rights, and social justice.

As with past anti-Semitic paroxysms, it has infiltrated the most pressing and relevant conversations of our day, transforming them from the inside out and deftly harnessing their power to cast us as the arch-villains once more.

That’s why this conversation is super important.

Read full story:

Ashkenazi Jews Must Stop Identifying As White/European

From the blog of Dani Ishai Behan at The Times of Israel

blogs.timesofisrael.com

 

[irosie91]

In college I had to take electives to fill up a degree
requirement------for a BA------the sociology courses
did it---CREAM PUFF---easy A's. I learned that in the
SCIENCE called sociology----all jews---regardless of
color, shape, income or assets ------are called
WHITE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS ---that includes jews black as night and if a Somali muslim
converts to Judaism----HE IS NOW--WHITE UPPER
MIDDLE CLASS. no wonder Ilhan Omar is pissed

 

[irosie91]

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries.

Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him (the principal), executing his wishes. The agent, however, can only do that which the principal himself is authorized to do.

So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when we as non-kohanim are not permitted to serve there?

Potential vs. Actual
The parashah opens with a set of special directives for kohanim: “God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron...” (Lev. 21:1). The text appears repetitive - “the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.” Why does the text need to emphasize that the kohanim are descendants of Aaron?

These two terms - “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron” indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, passed down from father to son. The phrase “sons of Aaron” refers to this inherent holiness.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness as expressed by a kohen’s actual service in the Temple. This aspect is designated by the term “kohanim.” The verb le-khahein means “to serve,” so the word “kohanim” refers to their actual service in the Temple. Thus the term “sons of Aaron” refers to the kohanim’s inherited potential, while “kohanim” refers to their actualized state of priestly service.

The Chalal
Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness. Yet there are certain situations that allow us to distinguish between the two.

A kohen is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. Should he nonetheless marry a divorcee, his son falls into a special category. He is called a chalal, from the word chilul, “to defile holiness.” Despite his lineage as the son of a kohen, a chalal may not serve in the Temple.

Yet if a chalal went ahead and offered a korban, his offerings are accepted after the fact (Maimonides, Bi'at Mikdash 6:10). This is quite surprising. In general, a chalal has the legal status of a non-kohen. If a non-kohen brought an offering, his service would be disqualified. Why are a chalal’s offerings accepted?

The distinction between potential and actual kohanic status, between “sons of Aaron” and “kohanim,” allows us to understand the unusual status of a chalal. Due to the fact that he is the son of a divorcee, he has lost the actualized sanctity of a functioning kohen. But he still retains the inherited sanctity as a “son of Aaron.” 1 This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked. Therefore, while a chalal should not serve in the Temple, his offerings are accepted after the fact.

The Sages derived this ruling from Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Levi:

“May God bless his strength (cheilo), and favor the acts of his hands” (Deut. 33:11).

Even the acts of those who are chulin, who have lost part of their kohanic sanctity, are still acceptable to God (Kiddushin 66b).


Our Agents
We may now understand the description of kohanim as sheluchei didan, “our agents.” How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as “a kingdom of kohanim” (Ex. 19:6). And Isaiah foresaw a future time in which “You will be called God’s kohanim. They will speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Temple, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has the quality of potential kohanic holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called “God’s kohanim.” And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents and perform the Temple service on our behalf.

Israel’s Future Holiness
This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of Birkat kohanim, the special priestly benediction (as described in Num. 6:23-27). The purpose of their blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic holiness that resides within each member of the Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out toward Israel’s future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms - their zero'a netuyah - point to a future era, whose seeds (zera) are planted in the present.

“Via the established sanctity of kohanim in the nation, the entire nation will come to be a complete “kingdom of kohanim and a holy people” (Olat Re’iyah vol. I, p. 61)

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

www.israelnationalnews.com

I recall reading several years ago a story in the Jewish Press
about a young woman who sincerely converted to Judaism for the sake of heaven. She falls in love with a Jewish man -- naturally, who else would she fall in love with, a Buddhist? -- and they decide to get married. Before the wedding they go visit the cemetery where the man's grandparents are buried. Upon reading the lettering on the gravestone, she realizes that her prospective husband is a kohen. She remembered reading in her Judaic studies something about a kohen being forbidden to marry a proselyte; they go to a rabbi to make sure, and with a heavy heart the rabbi assures them: "Yes, as a kohen, he is prohibited from marrying you." With tears streaming down her face, the young woman turns to the man who was to be her husband and tells him to please never to call her again, and she rushes out the door.

The story tears at the heart. What ever became of this virtuous, young woman, who for the sake of heaven (Halakhah) abandoned love? Did she ever marry ... or, like many of the walking wounded, hide her countenance from ever finding love again? One can only hope for the former, and may her children be Torah scholars!

I think you got that wrong-----a cohen CAN marry
a convert-----what he cannot marry is a jew of illegitimate birth or a divorced jew

I've read a Psak of a Cohen several days ago, who already lived with a convert woman.
He brought various arguments, but even though the court accepted some of them,
the Beit Din couldn't find them as basis to allow the marriage.

If I understood correctly, if her mother converted before she turned 3, or before birth,
the marriage would be allowed. Otherwise, and without other heavy circumstance,
this is a Torah prohibition, which doesn't allow the Beit Din to abstain.

I have had it from other torah boys---that a CONVERT---even if born from an adultery before conversion---can marry a Cohen------but that's brooklyn Judaism

 

[Viktor]

http://www.jewfaq.org/index.shtml

Many people know very little about Judaism. This site will answer most any questions you have.
Not all Jews do things exactly the same. There are 3 main denominations:Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Orthodox are the most dedicated of the 3. Reform are the most casual.

Jews are a tiny minority. There are only 13 million Jews worldwide, which represents only 0.2% of the population.

Are you Jewish?

Yes

 

[Viktor]

http://www.jewfaq.org/index.shtml

Many people know very little about Judaism. This site will answer most any questions you have.
Not all Jews do things exactly the same. There are 3 main denominations:Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Orthodox are the most dedicated of the 3. Reform are the most casual.

Jews are a tiny minority. There are only 13 million Jews worldwide, which represents only 0.2% of the population.

I got this from your link.

What is Judaism? What does it mean to be a Jew? Most people, both Jewish and gentile, would instinctively say that Judaism is a religion. And yet, there are militant atheists who insist that they are Jews!

Are you a militant atheist Jew?

Hell, no

 

[Ria_Longhorn]

Compelling Evidence for God: Jewish History

Can a rational person believe in God? Ollie presents compelling evidence for the existence of a Higher Power through a quick analysis of Jewish history and the way in which it was clearly foreseen by the Hebrew Bible.

People have always gravitated to Judaism. In the 1st century you had the gentile sebomenoi (G-d fearers); today there is the Noachides.

Personally, I will be forever grateful of the Jews I' ve encountered in my life.

Why were the Jewish People scattered to the four corners of the world? ... To spread the knowledge of the One True G-d. Thank you.

 

[Ria_Longhorn]

If a pregnant woman goes into labor in the eight month when her time is not yet come, they try to stop her labor. But not so in the ninth month. If the woman goes into labor then, they try to hasten it, so that she may soon give birth. That is why formerly when people called to Heaven begging G-d to free the earth of some misery, their prayer was granted, for the time was not yet come. But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished. -- Ruzhiner Rebbe Israel Friedman (1796-1850) Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim vol 2, p.67

 

[rylah]

Compelling Evidence for God: Jewish History

Can a rational person believe in God? Ollie presents compelling evidence for the existence of a Higher Power through a quick analysis of Jewish history and the way in which it was clearly foreseen by the Hebrew Bible.

People have always gravitated to Judaism. In the 1st century you had the gentile sebomenoi (G-d fearers); today there is the Noachides.

Personally, I will be forever grateful of the Jews I' ve encountered in my life.

Why were the Jewish People scattered to the four corners of the world? ... To spread the knowledge of the One True G-d. Thank you.

Rabbi Tovia Singer’s Powerful Lecture: Messianic Age and Noachides: An Appointment with Destiny!

 

[BreezeWood]

If a pregnant woman goes into labor in the eight month when her time is not yet come, they try to stop her labor. But not so in the ninth month. If the woman goes into labor then, they try to hasten it, so that she may soon give birth. That is why formerly when people called to Heaven begging G-d to free the earth of some misery, their prayer was granted, for the time was not yet come. But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished. -- Ruzhiner Rebbe Israel Friedman (1796-1850) Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim vol 2, p.67

But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished.

.
- the prescribed religion of antiquity would be ill suited for a sorrowful ending. to bad for you, for those not so there would be non remaining.

"so that the birth may soon be accomplished". so believes the jew.

 

[rylah]

If a pregnant woman goes into labor in the eight month when her time is not yet come, they try to stop her labor. But not so in the ninth month. If the woman goes into labor then, they try to hasten it, so that she may soon give birth. That is why formerly when people called to Heaven begging G-d to free the earth of some misery, their prayer was granted, for the time was not yet come. But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished. -- Ruzhiner Rebbe Israel Friedman (1796-1850) Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim vol 2, p.67

But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished.

.
- the prescribed religion of antiquity would be ill suited for a sorrowful ending. to bad for you, for those not so there would be non remaining.

"so that the birth may soon be accomplished". so believes the jew.

Jews actually believe that this birth occurs in every generation,
as that of 36 righteous people in every generation who merit the world in counterbalance to the measure of judgement in their measure of kindness.

 

[BreezeWood]

If a pregnant woman goes into labor in the eight month when her time is not yet come, they try to stop her labor. But not so in the ninth month. If the woman goes into labor then, they try to hasten it, so that she may soon give birth. That is why formerly when people called to Heaven begging G-d to free the earth of some misery, their prayer was granted, for the time was not yet come. But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished. -- Ruzhiner Rebbe Israel Friedman (1796-1850) Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim vol 2, p.67

But now that redemption is near, no prayer which ascends in behalf of the sorrowful world is of no avail, but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished.

.
- the prescribed religion of antiquity would be ill suited for a sorrowful ending. to bad for you, for those not so there would be non remaining.

"so that the birth may soon be accomplished". so believes the jew.

Jews actually believe that this birth occurs in every generation,
as that of 36 righteous people in every generation who merit the world in counterbalance to the measure of judgement in their measure of kindness.

Jews actually believe that this birth occurs in every generation,
as that of 36 righteous people in every generation who merit the world in counterbalance to the measure of judgement in their measure of kindness.

.
- but sorrow is heaped upon sorrow so that the birth may soon be accomplished.

sorry, those appear to be two different trains ... yours from nowhere.

surly your post has a relevance for the comment made in the previous post for the subject matter that was presented - hastening sorrow to bring misery to an end. something about redemption.

- there are very few that are not righteous in every generation that ever existed ...

 

[rylah]

For God's Sake Don't Go To Israel

"Shlach Lecha" 2020 - weekly Torah portion

 

[rylah]

As I post, what's below is currently the #1 hashtag on twitter in France...
Need to translate?

 

[Ria_Longhorn]

As I post, what's below is currently the #1 hashtag on twitter in France...
Need to translate?

The French should be ashamed!