What's Happening in Local West Orange Synagogues

The Torah recounts in great detail the preparations the Jewish people went through prior to receiving the Torah.

From the first day of the month of Sivan, when they arrived at Har Sinai, until the 6^th of Sivan (or the 7^th, according to other opinions), when they received the tablets and the Torah, they were busy preparing themselves for this seminal event.

While the activities and focus of B’nei Yisroel during that week were certainly interesting, the Torah tells us about them so that we may learn from them.  
This Shabbos, as we bentch Rosh Chodesh Sivan, we look ahead to the upcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos and prepare by learning about the relevant laws and customs.  

Eating dairy

For some, anticipation of the cheesecake all year long is exceeded only by the excitement of the nightlong session of Torah study.

Cheesecake has become associated with the holiday because there is a custom to eat a dairy meal on Shavuos. There are a number of reasons given in Shulchan Aruch for this practice.

While it might seem, at first glance, that arguing over the exact reason for the custom would be solely an intellectual exercise with no practical relevance – after all, everyone agrees that one should eat dairy on Shavuos - it is possible that there are very practical ramifications to the discussion.
 
The most widely known reason for the custom is that eating dairy is in commemoration of the situation Klal Yisroel found themselves in right after the Torah was given.

Having just received the mitzvah of shechita and the other laws relating to the proper slaughter and preparation of meat, the Jewish people were not really in a position to prepare meat for a festive meal that day.

The requirements of soaking, salting, deveining, removing of prohibited fats and other procedures necessary  to process kosher meat just could not all be done in time. Therefore, the meal they ate was dairy.  

There are many who eat their dairy meal at night.  According to the above reason, however, the dairy would need to be eaten at the Shavuos day meal in order to properly commemorate what occurred.

The significance of the dairy is due not just to it being dairy but also to when it was eaten. Having a dairy meal at night and not by day would seem to remove the whole history out of the dairy meal and make it somewhat akin to eating matzoh on Sukkos – a nice food, but having nothing to do with the occasion.
 
A second reason for the dairy meal is given by the Rema. He notes that, on the holiday of Shavuos, there was a special sacrifice in the Beis hamikdash called the shtei halechem.

Shtei halechem – literally “the two breads” – refers to the two loaves of bread that were offered together with a sheep in order to permit the use of wheat from the new crop in meal offerings in the Temple.

The Rema states that the reason for eating dairy is to commemorate this sacrifice. The halacha is that bread used for a meat meal is not allowed to be served on the table at a dairy meal, and vise versa.

Accordingly, a person who wished to eat a meat meal and a dairy meal would need to have two separate loaves of bread – one for the meat meal and a second one for the dairy meal.

Therefore, the Rema says, the custom developed to eat dairy at the traditional festive meat meal on Shavuos.  By having both dairy and meat served – not at the same time, of course – would trigger a requirement to have two loaves at the meal, literally “shtei lechem.” Thus, there would be a commemoration of the sacrifice.

According to this reason, however, the proper way to have the dairy meal and fulfill the custom would be by having a combination meal of dairy and then meat. In that way, there would be two breads and a reason to recall the shtei halechem.

Without having both at the same meal, there would be only one loaf at any meal and that would result in no reference to the shtei halechem.  Accordingly, cheesecake, pizza or ice cream have no special place at the Shavuos meal unless, and only if, they are followed by meat.  In and of themselves, according to this reason, they are insignificant.
 
While the above points would seem to have validity, it must be stated that halacha places an exceptional amount of emphasis on customs and stresses the importance of continuing and maintaining the practices of one’s forefathers. Therefore, each family should continue to enjoy their dairy in whatever way, or at whatever time, has become the tradition in their family.

Who We Are

Torah study continues to be the focus of Congregation and Kollel B’nei Torah of West Orange.  The Kollel will meet this week, as every week, on Monday through Wednesday nights, from 8:15 to 9:45 p.m.

On Thursday night, it will be from 8:30 to 10. Maariv follows each night. The Kollel is held in the Sefardic Minyan at AABJD.  All are welcome to come and experience the thrill and fulfillment of studying Torah one to one.  B’nei Torah, with its minyan and Kollel, is dedicated to uplifting and enriching the lives of every Jew through Torah study, serious tefillah and atmosphere that stresses and encourages personal growth.  No experience necessary – everyone is welcome to come and grow along with us.

Davening Times for Shabbos Parshas Behar/Bechukosai

Friday May 18
Mincha Erev Shabbos: 7 p.m. (at Chabad)
Kabbolas Shabbos: 7:15 p.m.

Shabbos Day, May 19
Brochos: 8:10 a.m.
Shochen Ad: 8:50 a.m.
Kiddush following davening
Daf Yomi: with Rabbi Jungreis, following Kiddush
Learning Seder: 5:30 p.m.
Mincha: 7:50 p.m.
Maariv Motzei Shabbos: 9 p.m.

Weeknight Maariv - Week of May 20
Maariv (M,T,W): 9:45 (Th): 10 p.m (following Kollel; at AABJD Sephardic Wing)