Today is: Erev Shabbat, Nissan 4, 5771
4-8-2011
Nissan 5771
THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁיתYom Ha´shee´shee ....Sixth day
כד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ-אֶרֶץ, לְמִינָהּ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 24
And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.
כה וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ, וְאֶת-הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ, וְאֵת כָּל-רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 25
And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
כו וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ; וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ, וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ, הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 26
And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כז וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם. 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 28
And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה. 29
And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;
ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, לְאָכְלָה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 30
and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.
לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. {פ} 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Today in Judaism
Today's Laws & Customs
• Today's 'Nasi': Reuben
1) In today's "Nasi" reading (see "Nasi of the Day" in Nissan 1), we read of the gift bought by the nasi of the tribe of Reuben, Elitzur ben Shedeur, for the inauguration of the Mishkan.
2) Text of today's Nasi in Hebrew and English.
Today in Jewish History
• Hospital Convoy Ambushed (1948)
1) On the morning of the 4th of Nissan, a civilian convoy of doctors and nurses traveling to the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus (see Today in Jewish History for 20 Iyar) was attacked by Arab forces. Of the ten vehicles in the caravan, five escaped. The other five vehicles, however, which included two buses and an ambulance, were riddled with machine gun fire and later set ablaze. Altogether 77 Jewish civilians were massacred on that day.
2) Shortly afterwards, the hospital was closed down and moved to the western part of Jerusalem.
3) The Mt. Scopus hospital only reopened after the eastern part of Jerusalem was liberated by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Primarily staffed by Israeli doctors, it is the largest and best equipped hospital in the eastern section of Jerusalem.
Daily Quote
1) Four things were said regarding bread: One should not place raw meat on top of bread, one should not pass a full cup over bread, one should not throw bread, and one should not prop up his plate with a piece of bread
- Talmud, Berachot 50b
Daily Study
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Metzora, 6th Portion Leviticus 15:16-15:28 with Rashi
Tehillim: Chapters 23 - 28
Tanya: Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 39
Rambam:
Sefer Hamitzvos:
1 Chapter: Kelim Chap. 3
3 Chapters: De'ot Chapter Six, De'ot Chapter Seven, Talmud Torah Chapter One
Hayom Yom:
Daily Mitzvah (Maimonides)
Nissan 4, 5771 ·
4 8, 2011
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides' classic work
Negative Commandment 256
Mistreating Widows and Orphans
"You shall not afflict any widow or orphan"-Exodus 22:21.
We are forbidden to distress a widow or young orphan. We may not upset these downtrodden individuals through harsh words or actions. Instead we are to interact with them gently and with empathy for their plight. Indeed, the Torah assures us that G‑d listens to the cry of the widow and orphan, and metes out severe punishments to those who torment them.
Negative Commandment 301
Gossiping
"You shall not go around as a tale-bearer among your people"-Leviticus 19:16.
It is forbidden to relay information about one individual to another-even if the information is one hundred percent true, and even if there is nothing objectionable about the actions that you are reporting.
The prohibition is understandably exacerbated if one libels another.
Negative Commandment 304
Revenge
"You shall not take revenge"-Leviticus 19:18.
We are forbidden to avenge one bad deed with another. A typical example of the revenge that the Torah prohibits: David asks Isaac to lend him his scythe, and Isaac refuses. Next day, Isaac needs an axe, and asks David whether he can borrow his. "I will not lend you my axe," David responds, "just as you didn't lend me your scythe..."
Negative Commandment 305
Bearing a Grudge
"You shall not bear any grudge"-Leviticus 19:18.
We are not allowed to bear a grudge against another - even if we never act upon the grudge.
For example: David asks Isaac to lend him his scythe, and Isaac refuses. Next day, Isaac needs an axe, and asks David whether he can borrow his. "I will lend you my axe," David responds, "I am not like you who refused to lend me your scythe..."
TOPICS IN THE NEWS
Baruch Samuel Blumberg (pictured), who shared the 1976 Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering the Hepatitis B virus, dies at the age of 85.
A shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, leaves at least 20 people dead and more than 100 missing.
Scientists observe the highest level of Arctic ozone layer depletion on record, attributed to colder temperatures in the stratosphere.
The Democrats for Andorra, led by Antoni Martí, win an absolute majority in a parliamentary election.
In United States college basketball, the Connecticut Huskies defeat the Butler Bulldogs to win the men's NCAA Championship.
A United Nations aircraft crashes in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 32 of the 33 people on board.
Business and Economy
Wayne Swan, the Treasurer of Australia, formally rejects an offer by the Singapore Exchange for the Australian Stock Exchange following advice from the Foreign Investment Review Board. (Bloomberg via Business Week)
Disasters
The death toll from an aftershock from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami rises to three. (CNN)
Three children die after drinking suspected tainted milk in China; 35 others are hospitalised. (BBC) (China.org.cn)
Politics
Nursultan Nazarbayev is sworn in as President of Kazakhstan for another five year term, in a vote criticised as flawed. (Al Jazeera)
Wreckage, victims of Air France Flight 447 found
New South Wales Premier criticised over government structure
4-8-2011
Nissan 5771
THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁיתYom Ha´shee´shee ....Sixth day
כד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ-אֶרֶץ, לְמִינָהּ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 24
And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.
כה וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ, וְאֶת-הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ, וְאֵת כָּל-רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 25
And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
כו וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ; וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ, וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ, הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 26
And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כז וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם. 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 28
And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה. 29
And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;
ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, לְאָכְלָה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 30
and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.
לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. {פ} 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Today in Judaism
Today's Laws & Customs
• Today's 'Nasi': Reuben
1) In today's "Nasi" reading (see "Nasi of the Day" in Nissan 1), we read of the gift bought by the nasi of the tribe of Reuben, Elitzur ben Shedeur, for the inauguration of the Mishkan.
2) Text of today's Nasi in Hebrew and English.
Today in Jewish History
• Hospital Convoy Ambushed (1948)
1) On the morning of the 4th of Nissan, a civilian convoy of doctors and nurses traveling to the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus (see Today in Jewish History for 20 Iyar) was attacked by Arab forces. Of the ten vehicles in the caravan, five escaped. The other five vehicles, however, which included two buses and an ambulance, were riddled with machine gun fire and later set ablaze. Altogether 77 Jewish civilians were massacred on that day.
2) Shortly afterwards, the hospital was closed down and moved to the western part of Jerusalem.
3) The Mt. Scopus hospital only reopened after the eastern part of Jerusalem was liberated by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Primarily staffed by Israeli doctors, it is the largest and best equipped hospital in the eastern section of Jerusalem.
Daily Quote
1) Four things were said regarding bread: One should not place raw meat on top of bread, one should not pass a full cup over bread, one should not throw bread, and one should not prop up his plate with a piece of bread
- Talmud, Berachot 50b
Daily Study
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Metzora, 6th Portion Leviticus 15:16-15:28 with Rashi
Tehillim: Chapters 23 - 28
Tanya: Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 39
Rambam:
Sefer Hamitzvos:
1 Chapter: Kelim Chap. 3
3 Chapters: De'ot Chapter Six, De'ot Chapter Seven, Talmud Torah Chapter One
Hayom Yom:
Daily Mitzvah (Maimonides)
Nissan 4, 5771 ·
4 8, 2011
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides' classic work
Negative Commandment 256
Mistreating Widows and Orphans
"You shall not afflict any widow or orphan"-Exodus 22:21.
We are forbidden to distress a widow or young orphan. We may not upset these downtrodden individuals through harsh words or actions. Instead we are to interact with them gently and with empathy for their plight. Indeed, the Torah assures us that G‑d listens to the cry of the widow and orphan, and metes out severe punishments to those who torment them.
Negative Commandment 301
Gossiping
"You shall not go around as a tale-bearer among your people"-Leviticus 19:16.
It is forbidden to relay information about one individual to another-even if the information is one hundred percent true, and even if there is nothing objectionable about the actions that you are reporting.
The prohibition is understandably exacerbated if one libels another.
Negative Commandment 304
Revenge
"You shall not take revenge"-Leviticus 19:18.
We are forbidden to avenge one bad deed with another. A typical example of the revenge that the Torah prohibits: David asks Isaac to lend him his scythe, and Isaac refuses. Next day, Isaac needs an axe, and asks David whether he can borrow his. "I will not lend you my axe," David responds, "just as you didn't lend me your scythe..."
Negative Commandment 305
Bearing a Grudge
"You shall not bear any grudge"-Leviticus 19:18.
We are not allowed to bear a grudge against another - even if we never act upon the grudge.
For example: David asks Isaac to lend him his scythe, and Isaac refuses. Next day, Isaac needs an axe, and asks David whether he can borrow his. "I will lend you my axe," David responds, "I am not like you who refused to lend me your scythe..."
TOPICS IN THE NEWS
Baruch Samuel Blumberg (pictured), who shared the 1976 Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering the Hepatitis B virus, dies at the age of 85.
A shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, leaves at least 20 people dead and more than 100 missing.
Scientists observe the highest level of Arctic ozone layer depletion on record, attributed to colder temperatures in the stratosphere.
The Democrats for Andorra, led by Antoni Martí, win an absolute majority in a parliamentary election.
In United States college basketball, the Connecticut Huskies defeat the Butler Bulldogs to win the men's NCAA Championship.
A United Nations aircraft crashes in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 32 of the 33 people on board.
Business and Economy
Wayne Swan, the Treasurer of Australia, formally rejects an offer by the Singapore Exchange for the Australian Stock Exchange following advice from the Foreign Investment Review Board. (Bloomberg via Business Week)
Disasters
The death toll from an aftershock from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami rises to three. (CNN)
Three children die after drinking suspected tainted milk in China; 35 others are hospitalised. (BBC) (China.org.cn)
Politics
Nursultan Nazarbayev is sworn in as President of Kazakhstan for another five year term, in a vote criticised as flawed. (Al Jazeera)
Wreckage, victims of Air France Flight 447 found
New South Wales Premier criticised over government structure
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