S.T.A.R. News & Events

Here are S.T.A.R.’s upcoming exciting events:

Get Your Wristbands Now
May 9th, 2012

S.T.A.R. Community Lag B’Omer Extravaganza at the Santa Monica Pier May 9th, 2012.
Come and join thousands of Jews from all kinds of background on the happiest time of the year.  

This Shabbat

Shabbat Parashat:Tazria-Mesora

Candle Lighting:7:16pm
Shabbat Ends: 8:19pm

Torah Message

So Far Away

“The kohen shall look, and behold! The affliction has covered his entire flesh, then he will declare the affliction to be pure.” (13:13)

Tzara’at, frequently mistranslated as leprosy, was a disease caused by spiritual defects, such as speaking lashon hara (slander). (Nowadays we are on such a low level spiritually that our bodies do not reflect the state of our spiritual health in this way.)

The verse here is puzzling for if “the affliction has covered the entire flesh” of the person that must mean that he is far from pure, and yet the Torah tells us that the kohen shall “declare the afflictionpure“. How can he be pure if the affliction covers his whole body?

The answer is that he is so far from being cured, having ignored all the warnings to do teshuva(repent), that the disease ceases to perform any further purpose. Thus the Torah specifically says not that the kohen shall declare him pure; rather that “the affliction is pure”. He, on the other hand, is as far from purity as is possible.

• Based on the Ha’emek Davar and Rabbi S. R. Hirsch

Rabbi M. Weiss                                                  Rabbi Y. Sakhai

Community News

Em Habanim Congregation

Weekly Parashat Hashavua class with Rabbi Joshua Bittan on Wednesdays at 8:30pm for more info. visit www.emhabanim.com

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Get Well Soon

We urge the whole community and all the jews around the world to pray for two 16 year old boys that were in a tragic accident. May hashem grant them a full Refuah Shelema and may he grant their families patience and nachat, Amen.

Ariel Menachem Chayim ben Miryam & Daniel ben Sara

We wish a speedy recovery for all the Jews that may need it where ever they may be and especially for:

Em Habanim:

Max Barchichat From Sephardic Temple: Al Azus,Buena Angel,
Elaine Leon,Itzchak Rachmanony

From S.T.A.R.:

Mordechai Chaim Ben Chana, Chaim Ben Buena,
Meshulam Dov Ben Chana Sarah

Bracha Eliza Bat Ehteram, Bracha Sara Chaya Bat Ronit,
Donna Devora bat Sara 

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