Nageela West
Item
Title
Nageela West
Description
These newsletters from Nageela West represent the way they've adapted some of their offerings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date Created
June 19, 2020
June 22, 2020
June 26, 2020
Community
Nageela West
Denomination
Judaism
Genre
e-newsletter
Institution
extracted text
Shelach
june 19th
5780
2020
Candle
Lighting:
Scottsdale 7:22
San Diego 7:41
Henderson 7:42
Las Vegas 7:43
Irvine 7:46
Los Angeles 7:49
Reno/ Tahoe 8:11
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Experiences
Personal Doughnations
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
by Rabbi Dani Locker
Watch it rise, watch it grow
Smell it as you knead the dough
Rapid rise or take it slow
Get the perfect ratio
Be sure to snap a photo
When you braid your challah dough
Then call you mom to say hello
s
Ju
Let it sit and watch it grow
ah
l
l
a
h
C
t
Before you bake it’s apropos
To separate some gooey dough
Oven burn, or wrap and throw
Season 4
Episode 28
specific mitzvah. Whilst kneading dough (I think whilst should
be used more, it’s an awesome word), a small amount is separated.
In biblical times, that dough was given to a Kohen. In case you’ve
forgotten, a Kohen is a grandchild (or great- great- grand… you get
the idea) of the original High priest, Aaron. This special family’s
job was to be the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people- the Rabbis
of the time- by doing all the holy work in the Temple and by
teaching and guiding the Jewish people in the ways of the Torah.
A
nyway, this small amount of dough, called ‘challah’,
was separated and given to any Kohen the baker
wanted to give it to. This gift (among others) allowed
the Kohen to focus on their spiritual guidance jobs,
without worrying about making money through farming,
stock trading or professional basketball. Nowadays,
instead of bestowing our challah on a real, live Kohen,
the custom is to either burn the dough, or to wrap it up and
discard it respectfully. This is the source of the word challah.
Not like it was long ago
You’d find a Kohen whom you know
Upon him this you may bestow
Don’t expect a quid pro quo
Give generously, even so
T
u
o
y
f
I
e
m
d
a
e
n
K
he word challah, usually reserved for the delicious braided
bread often eaten on Shabbat, actually has a root in a very
N
ow, please pay attention to one small detail I mentioned, that
the baker could choose ANY Kohen he wants; this applied not
only to challah, but to the other gifts that people gave to the
Kohen. Well, that doesn’t sound like the most logical system,
does it?
I
mean, let’s say one Kohen is wildly popular because he’s a
successful YouTuber who streams live Korban videos. He might
get more ‘challah’ than a different CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Sponsoring a week will help us distribute
Nageela Shabbos to hundreds more people!
to sponsor an episode of Nageela
Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
nageelawest.org
Snake Venom
Dear Rabbi,
Is gossip a big deal? I hear a lot of stories and speeches about how
Lashon Hara is just the worst. But, really, why? I understand it’s
not very nice to talk smack about someone, but is that it? Is there
more to it? What if it’s true?
Thank so much,
LeSean Harrah
Dear LeSean,
entire
summer.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
changed.
I’m completely stumped! Not about your
B. S a l l y j u s t
question. I have a lot to say on the subject.
interviewed for a new summer job as a
I’m stumped as to how it’s possible that I’ve
sports counselor at a local day camp. She is
printed 148 episodes of Nageela Shabbos
qualified for the job; excellent with kids and
and have not yet dedicated one to the idea of
a fantastic athlete. You’re talking with the
Lashon Hara! It’s a super important topic,
camp’s program director and you tell him,
and it needs to be discussed at length. If
“Sally is great for the job. She was always
you’d like a little background, we discuss it
into sports. We were in school together,
a bit in season 2, episode 29, and then again
and let me tell you, she was a lousy student.
in season 3, episode 15, but never on these
Just really bad at writing
pages have we addressed the
at science. Good girl, but
complex and terrible topic
Lashon
Hara
'kills'
not super intelligent.” She
that is negative gossip, known
keeps her job, and is treated
three people. The
as Lashon Hara (LH). This
fairly, because the director
will probably take 2 or 3
speaker, the victim
doesn’t care about Sally’s
weeks to cover, so let’s start:
and the listener.
HIgh School grades.
AHHHH! Where to start,
where to start… there’s so
much to talk about!!!
So what is LH? I’ll give you two examples:
WHICH ONE OF THESE TWO
STORIES IS LASHON HARA?
If you said BOTH, you are correct! Speaking
becomes LH when it does one of two things:
A. Sally just interviewed for a new summer
A. It hurts someone.
job as a sports counselor at a local day
camp. She is qualified for the job; excellent
B. It is a negative thing to say.
with kids and a fantastic athlete. You’repay close
attentionYes,
to those are two totally different things. In
talking to the camp’s program director
the above story A, the thing you said was not
who you know is a huge Red Sox fan. “Youour online
and social
know, Sally is a serious Yankees fan.” you
media negative. There’s nothing wrong with being a
say. As you watch the director's face turnpltformsYankees fan. HEY! Quiet down. I’ll fight you!
the color of his favorite team, you realize
this week Yet
for Sally was hurt by what you said because
she was mistreated. In story B, Sally was NOT
you may have made a mistake, Sally gets
info on both
the job, but she is treated unfairly for theof thesehurt, but it’s still LH because the thing you said
fun virtual
programs
continued from previous page
was inherently negative.
So, why is LH bad?
As Jews, we try to be careful about what goes
into our mouths, and also about what comes
out of our mouths. LH is so serious that there
are many powerful statements in Talmudic
and Kabbalistic writings that put it up there
with one of the most selfish and hurtful things
a person could do. The Midrash compares
someone who speaks LH to a snake. Why
a snake? Most dangerous animals attack
because they’re hungry. They bite. They eat.
Snakes will often bite with no intention of
eating (in fairness to snakes, it’s usually for
defense). They just bite, kill and move on to
get their meal somewhere else! LH does not
help the person who speaks it. If someone
steals- well, we are not fans of stealing, yet
we can understand the temptation. When you
steal, you now have something you did not
have before. When a person speaks negatively
about someone else, they both get hurt. The
victim is devastated, and the speaker really
gains nothing, except maybe a momentary
feeling of power, which fades away real quick.
Actually, the Talmud says that Lahon Hara
‘kills’ three people. The speaker (who has hurt
himself by sinking to such a terrible level), the
victim (who is most obviously hurt) and also
the listener. LH is an infectious disease (boy,
do we know about those!) that hurts everyone
exposed to it.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
words can never harm me.” Have you heard
that? It’s a complete lie. It doesn’t take a genius
to recognize that it’s possible to hurt someone
just as much, and often even more with words
than with physical harm. Let me repeat that
in other words. Hurting someone’s feelings can
be much, much more dangerous than an old
fashioned punch in the nose. Have you ever
been bullied with words? If you have, then
you KNOW. If you haven’t, you probably don’t
realize just how much it changes a person's
entire life. Many, many professional studies
link verbal abuse (that’s pretty much what
LH is) to long term depression, anxiety, anger
management problems, OCD and paranoia.
Simply put, most people who get a broken leg
don’t live a life of depression and pain. Yet
people who get laughed at, mimicked, spoken
(or written) about or shunned, often have
severe lasting results.
So far we have established that it’s a really
good idea to avoid speaking about people in a
way that is negative or in a way that can hurt
them. EVEN if they follow the Red Sox. EVEN
if you don’t agree with their political opinions.
EVEN if they disagree with the beautiful,
traditional custom of drinking pickle juice.
We will continue next week, and hopefully
journey together to a place of greater peace
and friendship!
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
Leedor Bobli
GHTS
Ranit Stockman
Meira Borsody
What if there
Abby Boyd
were no
Ben Pheibush
Aviel Ben yehuda
hypothetical
Bar'el Gazala
Joe Perry
situations?
?
To Sara Locker upon her engagement
this week to Avi Silver!
To Binyamn Sherizen upon his
engagement this week!
PICKLE JEWS
GALACTICALLY SYNDICATED
COMIC STRIP
I accidentally gave my
friend a glue stick instead of
chap stick...
He's still not talking to me!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Kohen. Wouldn’t it be smarter and fairer to just divide all
the donations among the Kohanim equally? One approach is
simply that this acts as an incentive for each Kohen to do
his job really well. But I see another valuable lesson here.
Why is there an
emoji just wagging
his tongue at this
talent show?
It’s his signature dance
move...
Yeah... it’s called
the Lashon
Hora...
W
hat is the purpose- the TRUE purpose of a Kohen?
Really, what’s the purpose of any educator? To educate?
Not so much. Sure, teaching stuff is a part of education. If
you’re a math teacher, that might be your only job. But a
Torah educator needs to be a guide and a role model. Torah
study is not about how many chapters you’ve mastered or
how many pages you’ve turned, but how you’ve turned. So
for a spiritual guide to have maximum effect, there’s got
to be a personal connection. If I give my ‘challah taxes’ to
an office, and they distribute it to ‘some Kohen’ then I’ve
missed out on the chance to chat, hang out, and connect to
a potential role model.
P
erhaps this is one reason why the Torah chooses the
inefficient method of personal gifts over organized
distribution. The system makes sure that we keep meeting
people we should learn from, and that they, in turn, interact
with us. Here’s a thought. If you want to study Torah in 2020,
you can go to one of dozens of websites, view virtual classes
from thousands of Rabbis, watch YouTube videos (probably
not of Korbanos, though) get Torah sheets delivered to your
email inbox… we sometimes forget how important it is to
connect with a teacher and role model in person. So next
time you want to get inspired, educated or just a little more
Jew-ish, consider the value of going to an in- person class,
meeting with a Rabbi 1 on 1, or even handing some challah,
person to person.
Decisions and information imminent:
Stay tuned THIS WEEK for our (hopefully)
final decisions on where, when and how (and
if) camp will be running this summer, including
COVID safety protocols.
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
Korach
5780
june 26th
2020
OUR
150TH
EPISODE!
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
Candle
Lighting:
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Slippery Korach
by Rabbi Dani Locker
D
S
Scottsdale 7:23
San Diego 7:42
Henderson 7:43
Las Vegas 7:44
Irvine 7:47
Los Angeles 7:50
Reno/ Tahoe 8:12
Oakland 8:17
Experiences
Season 4
Episode 29
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
id you know the Korach was the secretary of the Treasury in
the Egyptian government? But more on that later.
lippery Steve was a truly talented pickpocket. He could slide
behind anyone, bump into them softly, mumble an apology, and
walk away smiling with a new wallet, watch, phone, and sometimes
even a pair of socks. He was that good.
O
ne of Steve's favorite places to stalk was Krunchy's Kosher
Korner- a restaurant whose customers were wealthy businessmen.
Steve would sit at the bar sipping some champagne, and when he
saw a likely target, he would pass by the table, on his way to
the bathroom. A quick slip and a bump. A mumbled apology,
and a very full wallet. Business was good. Then Krunchy (the
restaurant's owner) caught on.
A
fter a bunch of complaints from his customers, Krunchy realized
there must be a pickpocket frequenting his establishment.
He played back the security tapes, and was amazed (and angered)
by what he saw. Even playing back the video in slow motion, it
was hard to see the nimble fingers do their damage. He made up
his mind to do something about it. The next time Slippery Steve
THIS WEEK
WE NEED YOUR HELP
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visit nageelawest.org/donations to do your part!
walked into the store, and ordered his customary champagne,
Krunchy asked, "Would you like some handcuffs with that?"
"
"
What do you mean?"
I know you've been stealing from my customers. As soon as
you walked in to the restaurant today, I called the police.
They're on their way, and your quick hands are going to be covered
in iron." Satisfied with his clever speech, Krunchy smiled widely.
"
Wait!" cried Steve. "It doesn't have to be like this. I promise
I have never, ever stolen from you. Your restaurant is safe
from me. How about if I give you some cash, and we forget about
this whole thing? Remember, I haven't caused you any loss!"
K
runchy frowned at Steve. "What a ridiculous suggestion.
You've caused me huge losses! Every time a customer orders
their dinner it costs me money. Then when it comes time to pay
and their wallet is stolen... who do you think loses?"
W
hile in Egypt, Korach kept the key to all of Pharaoh's
treasure houses. When the Jews left Egypt, he took all
the treasure with him, which he was criticized for. At first it
might be hard to understand what was wrong. After all, he simply
took Pharaoh's money. But if we think about Slippery Steve, we
realize that Korach actually took money away from the rest of
the Jews, as they were the ones who were going to receive all
the treasures of Egypt.
S
ometimes it's not enough to look at the situation for what it
IS, and we need to look at what it CAN BE or WILL BE. Looking
ahead and making our decisions with the best future in mind.
THIS WEEK'S NAGEELA SHABBOS IS SPONSORED IN MEMORY OF
CHAYA BAS AVRAHAM DAVID, WHO WOULD TOLERATE NO LASHON HARA
to sponsor an episode of Nageela
Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
nageelawest.org
Hi Rabbi,
Balance Transfer
I hear that if I speak badly about someone I get all of their sins, and
if they speak badly about me, they get all of mine. Is this true? How
would it work?
Thanks,
Tyler Raedin
Dear Ty Raedin,
We take proper speech really, really seriously.
As we discussed last week, any talk that is
either degrading (negative) or damaging
(hurtful) to a person is called Lashon Hara.
It’s SOOO serious that some people make the
claim that you’ve mentioned in your question.
So is it true? Let’s take a look.
Joe and Sari don’t get along very well. That’s
because Joe is a pretty horrible person, and
Sari is as close to goodness as a person can
get.
Sari collects and gives out toys to homeless
children in her neighborhood.
Joe likes to grab the toys away and make
the kids cry.
Sari studies hard for her test and always
does her homework on time.
Joe set his schoolbooks on fire, and his
teachers don’t even know what he looks like.
Sari rescues injured puppies and cares for
them.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
For years and
changed.
years, they carry
on t h i s w a y.
Sari doing good deeds and generally being an
awesome person; Joe committing crimes against
humanity, school supplies and food. Now after
many years, they both pass away on the same
day, and are standing next to each other at
the gates of heaven (with appropriate social
distancing, of course).
If you hear someone
speaking negatively
about you and you
DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a
tremendous merit,
“Sari!” booms the angel in
charge. “You lived a sinful
and selfish life. You were cruel
and uncaring.”
“There must be some mistake!” wails Sari. I
spent my life doing good. Was there a glitch in
Joe uses a BB gun to shoot squirrels in his
the system or something?”
back yard, for fun.
pay closeThe angel checks his iPad and scrolls through
attentionthe
to details. “Oh.” he says. “I see what happened.
Joe puts pieces of lego on the floor where he
our
online
knows people will walk barefoot.
You did lead a good life. But just once, in 30
and social
Sari vacuums the rug so that her parents media years of knowing Joe, you spoke negatively
pltformsabout him. What you said was true, but it
won’t have to.
this week was
for mean, and because of that, you now own
info
on
both
Sari eats Twizzlers.
all of the things that he did. Have a pleasant
of theseafterlife!”
fun virtual
Joe eats Red Vines.
programs
continued from previous page
Ummm.
Does that sound like it makes sense to you?
Yeah. No. Me neither.
So is it fake news? Not really. The concept
of transferring the merits and sins due to
Lashon Hara is sourced in pretty early,
important works like the Zohar and the Maggid
Meisharim (names of holy books, in case you
were wondering). So what does it mean?
There are a couple of opinions. Some opinions
believe that this statement is not literal.
You don’t actually lose or gain your merits.
If you never ate a pork, then when you get
‘upstairs’ they won’t say you did. What it
means (according to this opinion, advanced
by Rabbi E. Dessler) is that there’s a general
exchange of merit. Meaning, if I speak LH
about you, then I lose some of my heavenly
‘bank credit’, and you gain some bank credit
because you’ve suffered. You don’t get specific
mitzvos and aveiros, but a general flow and
exchange of credit.
The Chofetz Chaim (seemingly supported by
Chovos Halevavos) takes it more literally. This
approach seems to feel that you could actually
take ownership of something you did not do.
However, I would like to suggest that it’s very
far from being ‘all or nothing.’ Lashon Hara is
serious enough that if Sari consistently, over
the course of her lifetime, spoke negatively
about Joe ALL THE TIME, then she would
end up with the bill for a lot of Joe’s negative
actions. Every time she speaks, a bit gets
chipped off of Joe’s bill and goes to her. It’s so
incredibly important that we teach ourselves
to only speak positively (or just don’t speak
about people at all), because it would be a real
shame to work hard our whole lives and lose
some (or a lot) of what we've gained.
On a positive note, if you hear someone speaking
negatively about you and you DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a tremendous merit, and
you’ve recovered some of your own debt.
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
Who complained when Moses
destroyed the golden calf?
Cow-Rach!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
GHTS
Harrison Clayton
Eve Moga
What does
Miracle Moga
Avi Gewirtz
cheese say
Netanel Gazala
Aaron Polonsky
when it gets its
Rabbi Shua Rose
picture taken?
?
to Miracle and
Eve Moga who are
celebrating their Bat
Mitzvahs!
To the Naiman family upon the
birth of a baby girl!
Quick Fix
We're extremely excited
to announce our revamped overnight IN PERSON
camp, starting next week! If you know someone
who could use a great Jewish summer program,
please contact us for registration, rates and info
on our COVID-19 safety protocols.
09 30
DAYS TO CAMP
NAGEELA WEST
GIRLS SESSION
DAYS TO CAMP
NAGEELA WEST
BOYS SESSION
Find out about our summer 2020 and see photos from GT2019 at
nageelawest.org
It doesn't get much better than Moses, right? I
mean, he's the ultimate leader. He's literally saved
the entire Jewish nation many, many times, and
he's their teacher, guide, advisor and advocste.
Now this dud Korach (a cousin of Moses) startd
a rebellion. Korach gets obliterated. The ground
literally opens up to swallow him. His followers get
burned by a heavenly fire. Moses is proven right
and everyone is happy, right?
Nope!
The very next day, pretty much everyone
comes complaining to Moses that he has used
disproportionate force. He caused people to die.
Ahhhh! What does Moses do? He prays for the
people so that God won't be too angry at them.
Lesson 1: No matter how many times you prove
someone wrong, or how well you do it, they'll
always find a way to challenge you.
Lesson 2: No matter how many times people try to
hurt you, take a lesson from Moses. We want the
people to change their thoughts and actions. We
don't people to get hurt, even if they have hurt us.
www.nageelawest.org
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
june 19th
5780
2020
Candle
Lighting:
Scottsdale 7:22
San Diego 7:41
Henderson 7:42
Las Vegas 7:43
Irvine 7:46
Los Angeles 7:49
Reno/ Tahoe 8:11
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Experiences
Personal Doughnations
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
by Rabbi Dani Locker
Watch it rise, watch it grow
Smell it as you knead the dough
Rapid rise or take it slow
Get the perfect ratio
Be sure to snap a photo
When you braid your challah dough
Then call you mom to say hello
s
Ju
Let it sit and watch it grow
ah
l
l
a
h
C
t
Before you bake it’s apropos
To separate some gooey dough
Oven burn, or wrap and throw
Season 4
Episode 28
specific mitzvah. Whilst kneading dough (I think whilst should
be used more, it’s an awesome word), a small amount is separated.
In biblical times, that dough was given to a Kohen. In case you’ve
forgotten, a Kohen is a grandchild (or great- great- grand… you get
the idea) of the original High priest, Aaron. This special family’s
job was to be the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people- the Rabbis
of the time- by doing all the holy work in the Temple and by
teaching and guiding the Jewish people in the ways of the Torah.
A
nyway, this small amount of dough, called ‘challah’,
was separated and given to any Kohen the baker
wanted to give it to. This gift (among others) allowed
the Kohen to focus on their spiritual guidance jobs,
without worrying about making money through farming,
stock trading or professional basketball. Nowadays,
instead of bestowing our challah on a real, live Kohen,
the custom is to either burn the dough, or to wrap it up and
discard it respectfully. This is the source of the word challah.
Not like it was long ago
You’d find a Kohen whom you know
Upon him this you may bestow
Don’t expect a quid pro quo
Give generously, even so
T
u
o
y
f
I
e
m
d
a
e
n
K
he word challah, usually reserved for the delicious braided
bread often eaten on Shabbat, actually has a root in a very
N
ow, please pay attention to one small detail I mentioned, that
the baker could choose ANY Kohen he wants; this applied not
only to challah, but to the other gifts that people gave to the
Kohen. Well, that doesn’t sound like the most logical system,
does it?
I
mean, let’s say one Kohen is wildly popular because he’s a
successful YouTuber who streams live Korban videos. He might
get more ‘challah’ than a different CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Sponsoring a week will help us distribute
Nageela Shabbos to hundreds more people!
to sponsor an episode of Nageela
Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
nageelawest.org
Snake Venom
Dear Rabbi,
Is gossip a big deal? I hear a lot of stories and speeches about how
Lashon Hara is just the worst. But, really, why? I understand it’s
not very nice to talk smack about someone, but is that it? Is there
more to it? What if it’s true?
Thank so much,
LeSean Harrah
Dear LeSean,
entire
summer.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
changed.
I’m completely stumped! Not about your
B. S a l l y j u s t
question. I have a lot to say on the subject.
interviewed for a new summer job as a
I’m stumped as to how it’s possible that I’ve
sports counselor at a local day camp. She is
printed 148 episodes of Nageela Shabbos
qualified for the job; excellent with kids and
and have not yet dedicated one to the idea of
a fantastic athlete. You’re talking with the
Lashon Hara! It’s a super important topic,
camp’s program director and you tell him,
and it needs to be discussed at length. If
“Sally is great for the job. She was always
you’d like a little background, we discuss it
into sports. We were in school together,
a bit in season 2, episode 29, and then again
and let me tell you, she was a lousy student.
in season 3, episode 15, but never on these
Just really bad at writing
pages have we addressed the
at science. Good girl, but
complex and terrible topic
Lashon
Hara
'kills'
not super intelligent.” She
that is negative gossip, known
keeps her job, and is treated
three people. The
as Lashon Hara (LH). This
fairly, because the director
will probably take 2 or 3
speaker, the victim
doesn’t care about Sally’s
weeks to cover, so let’s start:
and the listener.
HIgh School grades.
AHHHH! Where to start,
where to start… there’s so
much to talk about!!!
So what is LH? I’ll give you two examples:
WHICH ONE OF THESE TWO
STORIES IS LASHON HARA?
If you said BOTH, you are correct! Speaking
becomes LH when it does one of two things:
A. Sally just interviewed for a new summer
A. It hurts someone.
job as a sports counselor at a local day
camp. She is qualified for the job; excellent
B. It is a negative thing to say.
with kids and a fantastic athlete. You’repay close
attentionYes,
to those are two totally different things. In
talking to the camp’s program director
the above story A, the thing you said was not
who you know is a huge Red Sox fan. “Youour online
and social
know, Sally is a serious Yankees fan.” you
media negative. There’s nothing wrong with being a
say. As you watch the director's face turnpltformsYankees fan. HEY! Quiet down. I’ll fight you!
the color of his favorite team, you realize
this week Yet
for Sally was hurt by what you said because
she was mistreated. In story B, Sally was NOT
you may have made a mistake, Sally gets
info on both
the job, but she is treated unfairly for theof thesehurt, but it’s still LH because the thing you said
fun virtual
programs
continued from previous page
was inherently negative.
So, why is LH bad?
As Jews, we try to be careful about what goes
into our mouths, and also about what comes
out of our mouths. LH is so serious that there
are many powerful statements in Talmudic
and Kabbalistic writings that put it up there
with one of the most selfish and hurtful things
a person could do. The Midrash compares
someone who speaks LH to a snake. Why
a snake? Most dangerous animals attack
because they’re hungry. They bite. They eat.
Snakes will often bite with no intention of
eating (in fairness to snakes, it’s usually for
defense). They just bite, kill and move on to
get their meal somewhere else! LH does not
help the person who speaks it. If someone
steals- well, we are not fans of stealing, yet
we can understand the temptation. When you
steal, you now have something you did not
have before. When a person speaks negatively
about someone else, they both get hurt. The
victim is devastated, and the speaker really
gains nothing, except maybe a momentary
feeling of power, which fades away real quick.
Actually, the Talmud says that Lahon Hara
‘kills’ three people. The speaker (who has hurt
himself by sinking to such a terrible level), the
victim (who is most obviously hurt) and also
the listener. LH is an infectious disease (boy,
do we know about those!) that hurts everyone
exposed to it.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
words can never harm me.” Have you heard
that? It’s a complete lie. It doesn’t take a genius
to recognize that it’s possible to hurt someone
just as much, and often even more with words
than with physical harm. Let me repeat that
in other words. Hurting someone’s feelings can
be much, much more dangerous than an old
fashioned punch in the nose. Have you ever
been bullied with words? If you have, then
you KNOW. If you haven’t, you probably don’t
realize just how much it changes a person's
entire life. Many, many professional studies
link verbal abuse (that’s pretty much what
LH is) to long term depression, anxiety, anger
management problems, OCD and paranoia.
Simply put, most people who get a broken leg
don’t live a life of depression and pain. Yet
people who get laughed at, mimicked, spoken
(or written) about or shunned, often have
severe lasting results.
So far we have established that it’s a really
good idea to avoid speaking about people in a
way that is negative or in a way that can hurt
them. EVEN if they follow the Red Sox. EVEN
if you don’t agree with their political opinions.
EVEN if they disagree with the beautiful,
traditional custom of drinking pickle juice.
We will continue next week, and hopefully
journey together to a place of greater peace
and friendship!
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
Leedor Bobli
GHTS
Ranit Stockman
Meira Borsody
What if there
Abby Boyd
were no
Ben Pheibush
Aviel Ben yehuda
hypothetical
Bar'el Gazala
Joe Perry
situations?
?
To Sara Locker upon her engagement
this week to Avi Silver!
To Binyamn Sherizen upon his
engagement this week!
PICKLE JEWS
GALACTICALLY SYNDICATED
COMIC STRIP
I accidentally gave my
friend a glue stick instead of
chap stick...
He's still not talking to me!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Kohen. Wouldn’t it be smarter and fairer to just divide all
the donations among the Kohanim equally? One approach is
simply that this acts as an incentive for each Kohen to do
his job really well. But I see another valuable lesson here.
Why is there an
emoji just wagging
his tongue at this
talent show?
It’s his signature dance
move...
Yeah... it’s called
the Lashon
Hora...
W
hat is the purpose- the TRUE purpose of a Kohen?
Really, what’s the purpose of any educator? To educate?
Not so much. Sure, teaching stuff is a part of education. If
you’re a math teacher, that might be your only job. But a
Torah educator needs to be a guide and a role model. Torah
study is not about how many chapters you’ve mastered or
how many pages you’ve turned, but how you’ve turned. So
for a spiritual guide to have maximum effect, there’s got
to be a personal connection. If I give my ‘challah taxes’ to
an office, and they distribute it to ‘some Kohen’ then I’ve
missed out on the chance to chat, hang out, and connect to
a potential role model.
P
erhaps this is one reason why the Torah chooses the
inefficient method of personal gifts over organized
distribution. The system makes sure that we keep meeting
people we should learn from, and that they, in turn, interact
with us. Here’s a thought. If you want to study Torah in 2020,
you can go to one of dozens of websites, view virtual classes
from thousands of Rabbis, watch YouTube videos (probably
not of Korbanos, though) get Torah sheets delivered to your
email inbox… we sometimes forget how important it is to
connect with a teacher and role model in person. So next
time you want to get inspired, educated or just a little more
Jew-ish, consider the value of going to an in- person class,
meeting with a Rabbi 1 on 1, or even handing some challah,
person to person.
Decisions and information imminent:
Stay tuned THIS WEEK for our (hopefully)
final decisions on where, when and how (and
if) camp will be running this summer, including
COVID safety protocols.
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
Korach
5780
june 26th
2020
OUR
150TH
EPISODE!
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
Candle
Lighting:
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Slippery Korach
by Rabbi Dani Locker
D
S
Scottsdale 7:23
San Diego 7:42
Henderson 7:43
Las Vegas 7:44
Irvine 7:47
Los Angeles 7:50
Reno/ Tahoe 8:12
Oakland 8:17
Experiences
Season 4
Episode 29
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id you know the Korach was the secretary of the Treasury in
the Egyptian government? But more on that later.
lippery Steve was a truly talented pickpocket. He could slide
behind anyone, bump into them softly, mumble an apology, and
walk away smiling with a new wallet, watch, phone, and sometimes
even a pair of socks. He was that good.
O
ne of Steve's favorite places to stalk was Krunchy's Kosher
Korner- a restaurant whose customers were wealthy businessmen.
Steve would sit at the bar sipping some champagne, and when he
saw a likely target, he would pass by the table, on his way to
the bathroom. A quick slip and a bump. A mumbled apology,
and a very full wallet. Business was good. Then Krunchy (the
restaurant's owner) caught on.
A
fter a bunch of complaints from his customers, Krunchy realized
there must be a pickpocket frequenting his establishment.
He played back the security tapes, and was amazed (and angered)
by what he saw. Even playing back the video in slow motion, it
was hard to see the nimble fingers do their damage. He made up
his mind to do something about it. The next time Slippery Steve
THIS WEEK
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walked into the store, and ordered his customary champagne,
Krunchy asked, "Would you like some handcuffs with that?"
"
"
What do you mean?"
I know you've been stealing from my customers. As soon as
you walked in to the restaurant today, I called the police.
They're on their way, and your quick hands are going to be covered
in iron." Satisfied with his clever speech, Krunchy smiled widely.
"
Wait!" cried Steve. "It doesn't have to be like this. I promise
I have never, ever stolen from you. Your restaurant is safe
from me. How about if I give you some cash, and we forget about
this whole thing? Remember, I haven't caused you any loss!"
K
runchy frowned at Steve. "What a ridiculous suggestion.
You've caused me huge losses! Every time a customer orders
their dinner it costs me money. Then when it comes time to pay
and their wallet is stolen... who do you think loses?"
W
hile in Egypt, Korach kept the key to all of Pharaoh's
treasure houses. When the Jews left Egypt, he took all
the treasure with him, which he was criticized for. At first it
might be hard to understand what was wrong. After all, he simply
took Pharaoh's money. But if we think about Slippery Steve, we
realize that Korach actually took money away from the rest of
the Jews, as they were the ones who were going to receive all
the treasures of Egypt.
S
ometimes it's not enough to look at the situation for what it
IS, and we need to look at what it CAN BE or WILL BE. Looking
ahead and making our decisions with the best future in mind.
THIS WEEK'S NAGEELA SHABBOS IS SPONSORED IN MEMORY OF
CHAYA BAS AVRAHAM DAVID, WHO WOULD TOLERATE NO LASHON HARA
to sponsor an episode of Nageela
Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
nageelawest.org
Hi Rabbi,
Balance Transfer
I hear that if I speak badly about someone I get all of their sins, and
if they speak badly about me, they get all of mine. Is this true? How
would it work?
Thanks,
Tyler Raedin
Dear Ty Raedin,
We take proper speech really, really seriously.
As we discussed last week, any talk that is
either degrading (negative) or damaging
(hurtful) to a person is called Lashon Hara.
It’s SOOO serious that some people make the
claim that you’ve mentioned in your question.
So is it true? Let’s take a look.
Joe and Sari don’t get along very well. That’s
because Joe is a pretty horrible person, and
Sari is as close to goodness as a person can
get.
Sari collects and gives out toys to homeless
children in her neighborhood.
Joe likes to grab the toys away and make
the kids cry.
Sari studies hard for her test and always
does her homework on time.
Joe set his schoolbooks on fire, and his
teachers don’t even know what he looks like.
Sari rescues injured puppies and cares for
them.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
For years and
changed.
years, they carry
on t h i s w a y.
Sari doing good deeds and generally being an
awesome person; Joe committing crimes against
humanity, school supplies and food. Now after
many years, they both pass away on the same
day, and are standing next to each other at
the gates of heaven (with appropriate social
distancing, of course).
If you hear someone
speaking negatively
about you and you
DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a
tremendous merit,
“Sari!” booms the angel in
charge. “You lived a sinful
and selfish life. You were cruel
and uncaring.”
“There must be some mistake!” wails Sari. I
spent my life doing good. Was there a glitch in
Joe uses a BB gun to shoot squirrels in his
the system or something?”
back yard, for fun.
pay closeThe angel checks his iPad and scrolls through
attentionthe
to details. “Oh.” he says. “I see what happened.
Joe puts pieces of lego on the floor where he
our
online
knows people will walk barefoot.
You did lead a good life. But just once, in 30
and social
Sari vacuums the rug so that her parents media years of knowing Joe, you spoke negatively
pltformsabout him. What you said was true, but it
won’t have to.
this week was
for mean, and because of that, you now own
info
on
both
Sari eats Twizzlers.
all of the things that he did. Have a pleasant
of theseafterlife!”
fun virtual
Joe eats Red Vines.
programs
continued from previous page
Ummm.
Does that sound like it makes sense to you?
Yeah. No. Me neither.
So is it fake news? Not really. The concept
of transferring the merits and sins due to
Lashon Hara is sourced in pretty early,
important works like the Zohar and the Maggid
Meisharim (names of holy books, in case you
were wondering). So what does it mean?
There are a couple of opinions. Some opinions
believe that this statement is not literal.
You don’t actually lose or gain your merits.
If you never ate a pork, then when you get
‘upstairs’ they won’t say you did. What it
means (according to this opinion, advanced
by Rabbi E. Dessler) is that there’s a general
exchange of merit. Meaning, if I speak LH
about you, then I lose some of my heavenly
‘bank credit’, and you gain some bank credit
because you’ve suffered. You don’t get specific
mitzvos and aveiros, but a general flow and
exchange of credit.
The Chofetz Chaim (seemingly supported by
Chovos Halevavos) takes it more literally. This
approach seems to feel that you could actually
take ownership of something you did not do.
However, I would like to suggest that it’s very
far from being ‘all or nothing.’ Lashon Hara is
serious enough that if Sari consistently, over
the course of her lifetime, spoke negatively
about Joe ALL THE TIME, then she would
end up with the bill for a lot of Joe’s negative
actions. Every time she speaks, a bit gets
chipped off of Joe’s bill and goes to her. It’s so
incredibly important that we teach ourselves
to only speak positively (or just don’t speak
about people at all), because it would be a real
shame to work hard our whole lives and lose
some (or a lot) of what we've gained.
On a positive note, if you hear someone speaking
negatively about you and you DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a tremendous merit, and
you’ve recovered some of your own debt.
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
Who complained when Moses
destroyed the golden calf?
Cow-Rach!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
GHTS
Harrison Clayton
Eve Moga
What does
Miracle Moga
Avi Gewirtz
cheese say
Netanel Gazala
Aaron Polonsky
when it gets its
Rabbi Shua Rose
picture taken?
?
to Miracle and
Eve Moga who are
celebrating their Bat
Mitzvahs!
To the Naiman family upon the
birth of a baby girl!
Quick Fix
We're extremely excited
to announce our revamped overnight IN PERSON
camp, starting next week! If you know someone
who could use a great Jewish summer program,
please contact us for registration, rates and info
on our COVID-19 safety protocols.
09 30
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It doesn't get much better than Moses, right? I
mean, he's the ultimate leader. He's literally saved
the entire Jewish nation many, many times, and
he's their teacher, guide, advisor and advocste.
Now this dud Korach (a cousin of Moses) startd
a rebellion. Korach gets obliterated. The ground
literally opens up to swallow him. His followers get
burned by a heavenly fire. Moses is proven right
and everyone is happy, right?
Nope!
The very next day, pretty much everyone
comes complaining to Moses that he has used
disproportionate force. He caused people to die.
Ahhhh! What does Moses do? He prays for the
people so that God won't be too angry at them.
Lesson 1: No matter how many times you prove
someone wrong, or how well you do it, they'll
always find a way to challenge you.
Lesson 2: No matter how many times people try to
hurt you, take a lesson from Moses. We want the
people to change their thoughts and actions. We
don't people to get hurt, even if they have hurt us.
www.nageelawest.org
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
Shelach
june 19th
5780
2020
Candle
Lighting:
Scottsdale 7:22
San Diego 7:41
Henderson 7:42
Las Vegas 7:43
Irvine 7:46
Los Angeles 7:49
Reno/ Tahoe 8:11
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Experiences
Personal Doughnations
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
by Rabbi Dani Locker
Watch it rise, watch it grow
Smell it as you knead the dough
Rapid rise or take it slow
Get the perfect ratio
Be sure to snap a photo
When you braid your challah dough
Then call you mom to say hello
s
Ju
Let it sit and watch it grow
ah
l
l
a
h
C
t
Before you bake it’s apropos
To separate some gooey dough
Oven burn, or wrap and throw
Season 4
Episode 28
specific mitzvah. Whilst kneading dough (I think whilst should
be used more, it’s an awesome word), a small amount is separated.
In biblical times, that dough was given to a Kohen. In case you’ve
forgotten, a Kohen is a grandchild (or great- great- grand… you get
the idea) of the original High priest, Aaron. This special family’s
job was to be the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people- the Rabbis
of the time- by doing all the holy work in the Temple and by
teaching and guiding the Jewish people in the ways of the Torah.
A
nyway, this small amount of dough, called ‘challah’,
was separated and given to any Kohen the baker
wanted to give it to. This gift (among others) allowed
the Kohen to focus on their spiritual guidance jobs,
without worrying about making money through farming,
stock trading or professional basketball. Nowadays,
instead of bestowing our challah on a real, live Kohen,
the custom is to either burn the dough, or to wrap it up and
discard it respectfully. This is the source of the word challah.
Not like it was long ago
You’d find a Kohen whom you know
Upon him this you may bestow
Don’t expect a quid pro quo
Give generously, even so
T
u
o
y
f
I
e
m
d
a
e
n
K
he word challah, usually reserved for the delicious braided
bread often eaten on Shabbat, actually has a root in a very
N
ow, please pay attention to one small detail I mentioned, that
the baker could choose ANY Kohen he wants; this applied not
only to challah, but to the other gifts that people gave to the
Kohen. Well, that doesn’t sound like the most logical system,
does it?
I
mean, let’s say one Kohen is wildly popular because he’s a
successful YouTuber who streams live Korban videos. He might
get more ‘challah’ than a different CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
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Snake Venom
Dear Rabbi,
Is gossip a big deal? I hear a lot of stories and speeches about how
Lashon Hara is just the worst. But, really, why? I understand it’s
not very nice to talk smack about someone, but is that it? Is there
more to it? What if it’s true?
Thank so much,
LeSean Harrah
Dear LeSean,
entire
summer.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
changed.
I’m completely stumped! Not about your
B. S a l l y j u s t
question. I have a lot to say on the subject.
interviewed for a new summer job as a
I’m stumped as to how it’s possible that I’ve
sports counselor at a local day camp. She is
printed 148 episodes of Nageela Shabbos
qualified for the job; excellent with kids and
and have not yet dedicated one to the idea of
a fantastic athlete. You’re talking with the
Lashon Hara! It’s a super important topic,
camp’s program director and you tell him,
and it needs to be discussed at length. If
“Sally is great for the job. She was always
you’d like a little background, we discuss it
into sports. We were in school together,
a bit in season 2, episode 29, and then again
and let me tell you, she was a lousy student.
in season 3, episode 15, but never on these
Just really bad at writing
pages have we addressed the
at science. Good girl, but
complex and terrible topic
Lashon
Hara
'kills'
not super intelligent.” She
that is negative gossip, known
keeps her job, and is treated
three people. The
as Lashon Hara (LH). This
fairly, because the director
will probably take 2 or 3
speaker, the victim
doesn’t care about Sally’s
weeks to cover, so let’s start:
and the listener.
HIgh School grades.
AHHHH! Where to start,
where to start… there’s so
much to talk about!!!
So what is LH? I’ll give you two examples:
WHICH ONE OF THESE TWO
STORIES IS LASHON HARA?
If you said BOTH, you are correct! Speaking
becomes LH when it does one of two things:
A. Sally just interviewed for a new summer
A. It hurts someone.
job as a sports counselor at a local day
camp. She is qualified for the job; excellent
B. It is a negative thing to say.
with kids and a fantastic athlete. You’repay close
attentionYes,
to those are two totally different things. In
talking to the camp’s program director
the above story A, the thing you said was not
who you know is a huge Red Sox fan. “Youour online
and social
know, Sally is a serious Yankees fan.” you
media negative. There’s nothing wrong with being a
say. As you watch the director's face turnpltformsYankees fan. HEY! Quiet down. I’ll fight you!
the color of his favorite team, you realize
this week Yet
for Sally was hurt by what you said because
she was mistreated. In story B, Sally was NOT
you may have made a mistake, Sally gets
info on both
the job, but she is treated unfairly for theof thesehurt, but it’s still LH because the thing you said
fun virtual
programs
continued from previous page
was inherently negative.
So, why is LH bad?
As Jews, we try to be careful about what goes
into our mouths, and also about what comes
out of our mouths. LH is so serious that there
are many powerful statements in Talmudic
and Kabbalistic writings that put it up there
with one of the most selfish and hurtful things
a person could do. The Midrash compares
someone who speaks LH to a snake. Why
a snake? Most dangerous animals attack
because they’re hungry. They bite. They eat.
Snakes will often bite with no intention of
eating (in fairness to snakes, it’s usually for
defense). They just bite, kill and move on to
get their meal somewhere else! LH does not
help the person who speaks it. If someone
steals- well, we are not fans of stealing, yet
we can understand the temptation. When you
steal, you now have something you did not
have before. When a person speaks negatively
about someone else, they both get hurt. The
victim is devastated, and the speaker really
gains nothing, except maybe a momentary
feeling of power, which fades away real quick.
Actually, the Talmud says that Lahon Hara
‘kills’ three people. The speaker (who has hurt
himself by sinking to such a terrible level), the
victim (who is most obviously hurt) and also
the listener. LH is an infectious disease (boy,
do we know about those!) that hurts everyone
exposed to it.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
words can never harm me.” Have you heard
that? It’s a complete lie. It doesn’t take a genius
to recognize that it’s possible to hurt someone
just as much, and often even more with words
than with physical harm. Let me repeat that
in other words. Hurting someone’s feelings can
be much, much more dangerous than an old
fashioned punch in the nose. Have you ever
been bullied with words? If you have, then
you KNOW. If you haven’t, you probably don’t
realize just how much it changes a person's
entire life. Many, many professional studies
link verbal abuse (that’s pretty much what
LH is) to long term depression, anxiety, anger
management problems, OCD and paranoia.
Simply put, most people who get a broken leg
don’t live a life of depression and pain. Yet
people who get laughed at, mimicked, spoken
(or written) about or shunned, often have
severe lasting results.
So far we have established that it’s a really
good idea to avoid speaking about people in a
way that is negative or in a way that can hurt
them. EVEN if they follow the Red Sox. EVEN
if you don’t agree with their political opinions.
EVEN if they disagree with the beautiful,
traditional custom of drinking pickle juice.
We will continue next week, and hopefully
journey together to a place of greater peace
and friendship!
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
Leedor Bobli
GHTS
Ranit Stockman
Meira Borsody
What if there
Abby Boyd
were no
Ben Pheibush
Aviel Ben yehuda
hypothetical
Bar'el Gazala
Joe Perry
situations?
?
To Sara Locker upon her engagement
this week to Avi Silver!
To Binyamn Sherizen upon his
engagement this week!
PICKLE JEWS
GALACTICALLY SYNDICATED
COMIC STRIP
I accidentally gave my
friend a glue stick instead of
chap stick...
He's still not talking to me!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Kohen. Wouldn’t it be smarter and fairer to just divide all
the donations among the Kohanim equally? One approach is
simply that this acts as an incentive for each Kohen to do
his job really well. But I see another valuable lesson here.
Why is there an
emoji just wagging
his tongue at this
talent show?
It’s his signature dance
move...
Yeah... it’s called
the Lashon
Hora...
W
hat is the purpose- the TRUE purpose of a Kohen?
Really, what’s the purpose of any educator? To educate?
Not so much. Sure, teaching stuff is a part of education. If
you’re a math teacher, that might be your only job. But a
Torah educator needs to be a guide and a role model. Torah
study is not about how many chapters you’ve mastered or
how many pages you’ve turned, but how you’ve turned. So
for a spiritual guide to have maximum effect, there’s got
to be a personal connection. If I give my ‘challah taxes’ to
an office, and they distribute it to ‘some Kohen’ then I’ve
missed out on the chance to chat, hang out, and connect to
a potential role model.
P
erhaps this is one reason why the Torah chooses the
inefficient method of personal gifts over organized
distribution. The system makes sure that we keep meeting
people we should learn from, and that they, in turn, interact
with us. Here’s a thought. If you want to study Torah in 2020,
you can go to one of dozens of websites, view virtual classes
from thousands of Rabbis, watch YouTube videos (probably
not of Korbanos, though) get Torah sheets delivered to your
email inbox… we sometimes forget how important it is to
connect with a teacher and role model in person. So next
time you want to get inspired, educated or just a little more
Jew-ish, consider the value of going to an in- person class,
meeting with a Rabbi 1 on 1, or even handing some challah,
person to person.
Decisions and information imminent:
Stay tuned THIS WEEK for our (hopefully)
final decisions on where, when and how (and
if) camp will be running this summer, including
COVID safety protocols.
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
Korach
5780
june 26th
2020
OUR
150TH
EPISODE!
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
Candle
Lighting:
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Slippery Korach
by Rabbi Dani Locker
D
S
Scottsdale 7:23
San Diego 7:42
Henderson 7:43
Las Vegas 7:44
Irvine 7:47
Los Angeles 7:50
Reno/ Tahoe 8:12
Oakland 8:17
Experiences
Season 4
Episode 29
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
id you know the Korach was the secretary of the Treasury in
the Egyptian government? But more on that later.
lippery Steve was a truly talented pickpocket. He could slide
behind anyone, bump into them softly, mumble an apology, and
walk away smiling with a new wallet, watch, phone, and sometimes
even a pair of socks. He was that good.
O
ne of Steve's favorite places to stalk was Krunchy's Kosher
Korner- a restaurant whose customers were wealthy businessmen.
Steve would sit at the bar sipping some champagne, and when he
saw a likely target, he would pass by the table, on his way to
the bathroom. A quick slip and a bump. A mumbled apology,
and a very full wallet. Business was good. Then Krunchy (the
restaurant's owner) caught on.
A
fter a bunch of complaints from his customers, Krunchy realized
there must be a pickpocket frequenting his establishment.
He played back the security tapes, and was amazed (and angered)
by what he saw. Even playing back the video in slow motion, it
was hard to see the nimble fingers do their damage. He made up
his mind to do something about it. The next time Slippery Steve
THIS WEEK
WE NEED YOUR HELP
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visit nageelawest.org/donations to do your part!
walked into the store, and ordered his customary champagne,
Krunchy asked, "Would you like some handcuffs with that?"
"
"
What do you mean?"
I know you've been stealing from my customers. As soon as
you walked in to the restaurant today, I called the police.
They're on their way, and your quick hands are going to be covered
in iron." Satisfied with his clever speech, Krunchy smiled widely.
"
Wait!" cried Steve. "It doesn't have to be like this. I promise
I have never, ever stolen from you. Your restaurant is safe
from me. How about if I give you some cash, and we forget about
this whole thing? Remember, I haven't caused you any loss!"
K
runchy frowned at Steve. "What a ridiculous suggestion.
You've caused me huge losses! Every time a customer orders
their dinner it costs me money. Then when it comes time to pay
and their wallet is stolen... who do you think loses?"
W
hile in Egypt, Korach kept the key to all of Pharaoh's
treasure houses. When the Jews left Egypt, he took all
the treasure with him, which he was criticized for. At first it
might be hard to understand what was wrong. After all, he simply
took Pharaoh's money. But if we think about Slippery Steve, we
realize that Korach actually took money away from the rest of
the Jews, as they were the ones who were going to receive all
the treasures of Egypt.
S
ometimes it's not enough to look at the situation for what it
IS, and we need to look at what it CAN BE or WILL BE. Looking
ahead and making our decisions with the best future in mind.
THIS WEEK'S NAGEELA SHABBOS IS SPONSORED IN MEMORY OF
CHAYA BAS AVRAHAM DAVID, WHO WOULD TOLERATE NO LASHON HARA
to sponsor an episode of Nageela
Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
nageelawest.org
Hi Rabbi,
Balance Transfer
I hear that if I speak badly about someone I get all of their sins, and
if they speak badly about me, they get all of mine. Is this true? How
would it work?
Thanks,
Tyler Raedin
Dear Ty Raedin,
We take proper speech really, really seriously.
As we discussed last week, any talk that is
either degrading (negative) or damaging
(hurtful) to a person is called Lashon Hara.
It’s SOOO serious that some people make the
claim that you’ve mentioned in your question.
So is it true? Let’s take a look.
Joe and Sari don’t get along very well. That’s
because Joe is a pretty horrible person, and
Sari is as close to goodness as a person can
get.
Sari collects and gives out toys to homeless
children in her neighborhood.
Joe likes to grab the toys away and make
the kids cry.
Sari studies hard for her test and always
does her homework on time.
Joe set his schoolbooks on fire, and his
teachers don’t even know what he looks like.
Sari rescues injured puppies and cares for
them.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
For years and
changed.
years, they carry
on t h i s w a y.
Sari doing good deeds and generally being an
awesome person; Joe committing crimes against
humanity, school supplies and food. Now after
many years, they both pass away on the same
day, and are standing next to each other at
the gates of heaven (with appropriate social
distancing, of course).
If you hear someone
speaking negatively
about you and you
DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a
tremendous merit,
“Sari!” booms the angel in
charge. “You lived a sinful
and selfish life. You were cruel
and uncaring.”
“There must be some mistake!” wails Sari. I
spent my life doing good. Was there a glitch in
Joe uses a BB gun to shoot squirrels in his
the system or something?”
back yard, for fun.
pay closeThe angel checks his iPad and scrolls through
attentionthe
to details. “Oh.” he says. “I see what happened.
Joe puts pieces of lego on the floor where he
our
online
knows people will walk barefoot.
You did lead a good life. But just once, in 30
and social
Sari vacuums the rug so that her parents media years of knowing Joe, you spoke negatively
pltformsabout him. What you said was true, but it
won’t have to.
this week was
for mean, and because of that, you now own
info
on
both
Sari eats Twizzlers.
all of the things that he did. Have a pleasant
of theseafterlife!”
fun virtual
Joe eats Red Vines.
programs
continued from previous page
Ummm.
Does that sound like it makes sense to you?
Yeah. No. Me neither.
So is it fake news? Not really. The concept
of transferring the merits and sins due to
Lashon Hara is sourced in pretty early,
important works like the Zohar and the Maggid
Meisharim (names of holy books, in case you
were wondering). So what does it mean?
There are a couple of opinions. Some opinions
believe that this statement is not literal.
You don’t actually lose or gain your merits.
If you never ate a pork, then when you get
‘upstairs’ they won’t say you did. What it
means (according to this opinion, advanced
by Rabbi E. Dessler) is that there’s a general
exchange of merit. Meaning, if I speak LH
about you, then I lose some of my heavenly
‘bank credit’, and you gain some bank credit
because you’ve suffered. You don’t get specific
mitzvos and aveiros, but a general flow and
exchange of credit.
The Chofetz Chaim (seemingly supported by
Chovos Halevavos) takes it more literally. This
approach seems to feel that you could actually
take ownership of something you did not do.
However, I would like to suggest that it’s very
far from being ‘all or nothing.’ Lashon Hara is
serious enough that if Sari consistently, over
the course of her lifetime, spoke negatively
about Joe ALL THE TIME, then she would
end up with the bill for a lot of Joe’s negative
actions. Every time she speaks, a bit gets
chipped off of Joe’s bill and goes to her. It’s so
incredibly important that we teach ourselves
to only speak positively (or just don’t speak
about people at all), because it would be a real
shame to work hard our whole lives and lose
some (or a lot) of what we've gained.
On a positive note, if you hear someone speaking
negatively about you and you DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a tremendous merit, and
you’ve recovered some of your own debt.
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
Who complained when Moses
destroyed the golden calf?
Cow-Rach!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
GHTS
Harrison Clayton
Eve Moga
What does
Miracle Moga
Avi Gewirtz
cheese say
Netanel Gazala
Aaron Polonsky
when it gets its
Rabbi Shua Rose
picture taken?
?
to Miracle and
Eve Moga who are
celebrating their Bat
Mitzvahs!
To the Naiman family upon the
birth of a baby girl!
Quick Fix
We're extremely excited
to announce our revamped overnight IN PERSON
camp, starting next week! If you know someone
who could use a great Jewish summer program,
please contact us for registration, rates and info
on our COVID-19 safety protocols.
09 30
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It doesn't get much better than Moses, right? I
mean, he's the ultimate leader. He's literally saved
the entire Jewish nation many, many times, and
he's their teacher, guide, advisor and advocste.
Now this dud Korach (a cousin of Moses) startd
a rebellion. Korach gets obliterated. The ground
literally opens up to swallow him. His followers get
burned by a heavenly fire. Moses is proven right
and everyone is happy, right?
Nope!
The very next day, pretty much everyone
comes complaining to Moses that he has used
disproportionate force. He caused people to die.
Ahhhh! What does Moses do? He prays for the
people so that God won't be too angry at them.
Lesson 1: No matter how many times you prove
someone wrong, or how well you do it, they'll
always find a way to challenge you.
Lesson 2: No matter how many times people try to
hurt you, take a lesson from Moses. We want the
people to change their thoughts and actions. We
don't people to get hurt, even if they have hurt us.
www.nageelawest.org
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
june 19th
5780
2020
Candle
Lighting:
Scottsdale 7:22
San Diego 7:41
Henderson 7:42
Las Vegas 7:43
Irvine 7:46
Los Angeles 7:49
Reno/ Tahoe 8:11
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Experiences
Personal Doughnations
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
by Rabbi Dani Locker
Watch it rise, watch it grow
Smell it as you knead the dough
Rapid rise or take it slow
Get the perfect ratio
Be sure to snap a photo
When you braid your challah dough
Then call you mom to say hello
s
Ju
Let it sit and watch it grow
ah
l
l
a
h
C
t
Before you bake it’s apropos
To separate some gooey dough
Oven burn, or wrap and throw
Season 4
Episode 28
specific mitzvah. Whilst kneading dough (I think whilst should
be used more, it’s an awesome word), a small amount is separated.
In biblical times, that dough was given to a Kohen. In case you’ve
forgotten, a Kohen is a grandchild (or great- great- grand… you get
the idea) of the original High priest, Aaron. This special family’s
job was to be the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people- the Rabbis
of the time- by doing all the holy work in the Temple and by
teaching and guiding the Jewish people in the ways of the Torah.
A
nyway, this small amount of dough, called ‘challah’,
was separated and given to any Kohen the baker
wanted to give it to. This gift (among others) allowed
the Kohen to focus on their spiritual guidance jobs,
without worrying about making money through farming,
stock trading or professional basketball. Nowadays,
instead of bestowing our challah on a real, live Kohen,
the custom is to either burn the dough, or to wrap it up and
discard it respectfully. This is the source of the word challah.
Not like it was long ago
You’d find a Kohen whom you know
Upon him this you may bestow
Don’t expect a quid pro quo
Give generously, even so
T
u
o
y
f
I
e
m
d
a
e
n
K
he word challah, usually reserved for the delicious braided
bread often eaten on Shabbat, actually has a root in a very
N
ow, please pay attention to one small detail I mentioned, that
the baker could choose ANY Kohen he wants; this applied not
only to challah, but to the other gifts that people gave to the
Kohen. Well, that doesn’t sound like the most logical system,
does it?
I
mean, let’s say one Kohen is wildly popular because he’s a
successful YouTuber who streams live Korban videos. He might
get more ‘challah’ than a different CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
nageelawest.org
Snake Venom
Dear Rabbi,
Is gossip a big deal? I hear a lot of stories and speeches about how
Lashon Hara is just the worst. But, really, why? I understand it’s
not very nice to talk smack about someone, but is that it? Is there
more to it? What if it’s true?
Thank so much,
LeSean Harrah
Dear LeSean,
entire
summer.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
changed.
I’m completely stumped! Not about your
B. S a l l y j u s t
question. I have a lot to say on the subject.
interviewed for a new summer job as a
I’m stumped as to how it’s possible that I’ve
sports counselor at a local day camp. She is
printed 148 episodes of Nageela Shabbos
qualified for the job; excellent with kids and
and have not yet dedicated one to the idea of
a fantastic athlete. You’re talking with the
Lashon Hara! It’s a super important topic,
camp’s program director and you tell him,
and it needs to be discussed at length. If
“Sally is great for the job. She was always
you’d like a little background, we discuss it
into sports. We were in school together,
a bit in season 2, episode 29, and then again
and let me tell you, she was a lousy student.
in season 3, episode 15, but never on these
Just really bad at writing
pages have we addressed the
at science. Good girl, but
complex and terrible topic
Lashon
Hara
'kills'
not super intelligent.” She
that is negative gossip, known
keeps her job, and is treated
three people. The
as Lashon Hara (LH). This
fairly, because the director
will probably take 2 or 3
speaker, the victim
doesn’t care about Sally’s
weeks to cover, so let’s start:
and the listener.
HIgh School grades.
AHHHH! Where to start,
where to start… there’s so
much to talk about!!!
So what is LH? I’ll give you two examples:
WHICH ONE OF THESE TWO
STORIES IS LASHON HARA?
If you said BOTH, you are correct! Speaking
becomes LH when it does one of two things:
A. Sally just interviewed for a new summer
A. It hurts someone.
job as a sports counselor at a local day
camp. She is qualified for the job; excellent
B. It is a negative thing to say.
with kids and a fantastic athlete. You’repay close
attentionYes,
to those are two totally different things. In
talking to the camp’s program director
the above story A, the thing you said was not
who you know is a huge Red Sox fan. “Youour online
and social
know, Sally is a serious Yankees fan.” you
media negative. There’s nothing wrong with being a
say. As you watch the director's face turnpltformsYankees fan. HEY! Quiet down. I’ll fight you!
the color of his favorite team, you realize
this week Yet
for Sally was hurt by what you said because
she was mistreated. In story B, Sally was NOT
you may have made a mistake, Sally gets
info on both
the job, but she is treated unfairly for theof thesehurt, but it’s still LH because the thing you said
fun virtual
programs
continued from previous page
was inherently negative.
So, why is LH bad?
As Jews, we try to be careful about what goes
into our mouths, and also about what comes
out of our mouths. LH is so serious that there
are many powerful statements in Talmudic
and Kabbalistic writings that put it up there
with one of the most selfish and hurtful things
a person could do. The Midrash compares
someone who speaks LH to a snake. Why
a snake? Most dangerous animals attack
because they’re hungry. They bite. They eat.
Snakes will often bite with no intention of
eating (in fairness to snakes, it’s usually for
defense). They just bite, kill and move on to
get their meal somewhere else! LH does not
help the person who speaks it. If someone
steals- well, we are not fans of stealing, yet
we can understand the temptation. When you
steal, you now have something you did not
have before. When a person speaks negatively
about someone else, they both get hurt. The
victim is devastated, and the speaker really
gains nothing, except maybe a momentary
feeling of power, which fades away real quick.
Actually, the Talmud says that Lahon Hara
‘kills’ three people. The speaker (who has hurt
himself by sinking to such a terrible level), the
victim (who is most obviously hurt) and also
the listener. LH is an infectious disease (boy,
do we know about those!) that hurts everyone
exposed to it.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
words can never harm me.” Have you heard
that? It’s a complete lie. It doesn’t take a genius
to recognize that it’s possible to hurt someone
just as much, and often even more with words
than with physical harm. Let me repeat that
in other words. Hurting someone’s feelings can
be much, much more dangerous than an old
fashioned punch in the nose. Have you ever
been bullied with words? If you have, then
you KNOW. If you haven’t, you probably don’t
realize just how much it changes a person's
entire life. Many, many professional studies
link verbal abuse (that’s pretty much what
LH is) to long term depression, anxiety, anger
management problems, OCD and paranoia.
Simply put, most people who get a broken leg
don’t live a life of depression and pain. Yet
people who get laughed at, mimicked, spoken
(or written) about or shunned, often have
severe lasting results.
So far we have established that it’s a really
good idea to avoid speaking about people in a
way that is negative or in a way that can hurt
them. EVEN if they follow the Red Sox. EVEN
if you don’t agree with their political opinions.
EVEN if they disagree with the beautiful,
traditional custom of drinking pickle juice.
We will continue next week, and hopefully
journey together to a place of greater peace
and friendship!
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
D E E P HAPPYBIRTHDAY!
Birthday to family members
THOU Happy
who have celebrated recently:
Leedor Bobli
GHTS
Ranit Stockman
Meira Borsody
What if there
Abby Boyd
were no
Ben Pheibush
Aviel Ben yehuda
hypothetical
Bar'el Gazala
Joe Perry
situations?
?
To Sara Locker upon her engagement
this week to Avi Silver!
To Binyamn Sherizen upon his
engagement this week!
PICKLE JEWS
GALACTICALLY SYNDICATED
COMIC STRIP
I accidentally gave my
friend a glue stick instead of
chap stick...
He's still not talking to me!
OUCH! GROAN!
got a better joke? Email it to dlocker@nageelawest.org
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Kohen. Wouldn’t it be smarter and fairer to just divide all
the donations among the Kohanim equally? One approach is
simply that this acts as an incentive for each Kohen to do
his job really well. But I see another valuable lesson here.
Why is there an
emoji just wagging
his tongue at this
talent show?
It’s his signature dance
move...
Yeah... it’s called
the Lashon
Hora...
W
hat is the purpose- the TRUE purpose of a Kohen?
Really, what’s the purpose of any educator? To educate?
Not so much. Sure, teaching stuff is a part of education. If
you’re a math teacher, that might be your only job. But a
Torah educator needs to be a guide and a role model. Torah
study is not about how many chapters you’ve mastered or
how many pages you’ve turned, but how you’ve turned. So
for a spiritual guide to have maximum effect, there’s got
to be a personal connection. If I give my ‘challah taxes’ to
an office, and they distribute it to ‘some Kohen’ then I’ve
missed out on the chance to chat, hang out, and connect to
a potential role model.
P
erhaps this is one reason why the Torah chooses the
inefficient method of personal gifts over organized
distribution. The system makes sure that we keep meeting
people we should learn from, and that they, in turn, interact
with us. Here’s a thought. If you want to study Torah in 2020,
you can go to one of dozens of websites, view virtual classes
from thousands of Rabbis, watch YouTube videos (probably
not of Korbanos, though) get Torah sheets delivered to your
email inbox… we sometimes forget how important it is to
connect with a teacher and role model in person. So next
time you want to get inspired, educated or just a little more
Jew-ish, consider the value of going to an in- person class,
meeting with a Rabbi 1 on 1, or even handing some challah,
person to person.
Decisions and information imminent:
Stay tuned THIS WEEK for our (hopefully)
final decisions on where, when and how (and
if) camp will be running this summer, including
COVID safety protocols.
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org
Korach
5780
june 26th
2020
OUR
150TH
EPISODE!
have a
ly Publication
A Kid Friendly Week
Candle
Lighting:
yfully Jewish
Jo
t
as
Co
t
es
W
la
of Nagee
Slippery Korach
by Rabbi Dani Locker
D
S
Scottsdale 7:23
San Diego 7:42
Henderson 7:43
Las Vegas 7:44
Irvine 7:47
Los Angeles 7:50
Reno/ Tahoe 8:12
Oakland 8:17
Experiences
Season 4
Episode 29
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@NAGEELAWEST
id you know the Korach was the secretary of the Treasury in
the Egyptian government? But more on that later.
lippery Steve was a truly talented pickpocket. He could slide
behind anyone, bump into them softly, mumble an apology, and
walk away smiling with a new wallet, watch, phone, and sometimes
even a pair of socks. He was that good.
O
ne of Steve's favorite places to stalk was Krunchy's Kosher
Korner- a restaurant whose customers were wealthy businessmen.
Steve would sit at the bar sipping some champagne, and when he
saw a likely target, he would pass by the table, on his way to
the bathroom. A quick slip and a bump. A mumbled apology,
and a very full wallet. Business was good. Then Krunchy (the
restaurant's owner) caught on.
A
fter a bunch of complaints from his customers, Krunchy realized
there must be a pickpocket frequenting his establishment.
He played back the security tapes, and was amazed (and angered)
by what he saw. Even playing back the video in slow motion, it
was hard to see the nimble fingers do their damage. He made up
his mind to do something about it. The next time Slippery Steve
THIS WEEK
WE NEED YOUR HELP
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visit nageelawest.org/donations to do your part!
walked into the store, and ordered his customary champagne,
Krunchy asked, "Would you like some handcuffs with that?"
"
"
What do you mean?"
I know you've been stealing from my customers. As soon as
you walked in to the restaurant today, I called the police.
They're on their way, and your quick hands are going to be covered
in iron." Satisfied with his clever speech, Krunchy smiled widely.
"
Wait!" cried Steve. "It doesn't have to be like this. I promise
I have never, ever stolen from you. Your restaurant is safe
from me. How about if I give you some cash, and we forget about
this whole thing? Remember, I haven't caused you any loss!"
K
runchy frowned at Steve. "What a ridiculous suggestion.
You've caused me huge losses! Every time a customer orders
their dinner it costs me money. Then when it comes time to pay
and their wallet is stolen... who do you think loses?"
W
hile in Egypt, Korach kept the key to all of Pharaoh's
treasure houses. When the Jews left Egypt, he took all
the treasure with him, which he was criticized for. At first it
might be hard to understand what was wrong. After all, he simply
took Pharaoh's money. But if we think about Slippery Steve, we
realize that Korach actually took money away from the rest of
the Jews, as they were the ones who were going to receive all
the treasures of Egypt.
S
ometimes it's not enough to look at the situation for what it
IS, and we need to look at what it CAN BE or WILL BE. Looking
ahead and making our decisions with the best future in mind.
THIS WEEK'S NAGEELA SHABBOS IS SPONSORED IN MEMORY OF
CHAYA BAS AVRAHAM DAVID, WHO WOULD TOLERATE NO LASHON HARA
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Shabbos, please contact dlocker@
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Hi Rabbi,
Balance Transfer
I hear that if I speak badly about someone I get all of their sins, and
if they speak badly about me, they get all of mine. Is this true? How
would it work?
Thanks,
Tyler Raedin
Dear Ty Raedin,
We take proper speech really, really seriously.
As we discussed last week, any talk that is
either degrading (negative) or damaging
(hurtful) to a person is called Lashon Hara.
It’s SOOO serious that some people make the
claim that you’ve mentioned in your question.
So is it true? Let’s take a look.
Joe and Sari don’t get along very well. That’s
because Joe is a pretty horrible person, and
Sari is as close to goodness as a person can
get.
Sari collects and gives out toys to homeless
children in her neighborhood.
Joe likes to grab the toys away and make
the kids cry.
Sari studies hard for her test and always
does her homework on time.
Joe set his schoolbooks on fire, and his
teachers don’t even know what he looks like.
Sari rescues injured puppies and cares for
them.
Stump the Rabbi is a
forum where kids can ask
ANY Jewish question.
Have a question? Please
send it in to
stump@nageelawest.org
Questions here are real. Names
and some wording have been
For years and
changed.
years, they carry
on t h i s w a y.
Sari doing good deeds and generally being an
awesome person; Joe committing crimes against
humanity, school supplies and food. Now after
many years, they both pass away on the same
day, and are standing next to each other at
the gates of heaven (with appropriate social
distancing, of course).
If you hear someone
speaking negatively
about you and you
DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a
tremendous merit,
“Sari!” booms the angel in
charge. “You lived a sinful
and selfish life. You were cruel
and uncaring.”
“There must be some mistake!” wails Sari. I
spent my life doing good. Was there a glitch in
Joe uses a BB gun to shoot squirrels in his
the system or something?”
back yard, for fun.
pay closeThe angel checks his iPad and scrolls through
attentionthe
to details. “Oh.” he says. “I see what happened.
Joe puts pieces of lego on the floor where he
our
online
knows people will walk barefoot.
You did lead a good life. But just once, in 30
and social
Sari vacuums the rug so that her parents media years of knowing Joe, you spoke negatively
pltformsabout him. What you said was true, but it
won’t have to.
this week was
for mean, and because of that, you now own
info
on
both
Sari eats Twizzlers.
all of the things that he did. Have a pleasant
of theseafterlife!”
fun virtual
Joe eats Red Vines.
programs
continued from previous page
Ummm.
Does that sound like it makes sense to you?
Yeah. No. Me neither.
So is it fake news? Not really. The concept
of transferring the merits and sins due to
Lashon Hara is sourced in pretty early,
important works like the Zohar and the Maggid
Meisharim (names of holy books, in case you
were wondering). So what does it mean?
There are a couple of opinions. Some opinions
believe that this statement is not literal.
You don’t actually lose or gain your merits.
If you never ate a pork, then when you get
‘upstairs’ they won’t say you did. What it
means (according to this opinion, advanced
by Rabbi E. Dessler) is that there’s a general
exchange of merit. Meaning, if I speak LH
about you, then I lose some of my heavenly
‘bank credit’, and you gain some bank credit
because you’ve suffered. You don’t get specific
mitzvos and aveiros, but a general flow and
exchange of credit.
The Chofetz Chaim (seemingly supported by
Chovos Halevavos) takes it more literally. This
approach seems to feel that you could actually
take ownership of something you did not do.
However, I would like to suggest that it’s very
far from being ‘all or nothing.’ Lashon Hara is
serious enough that if Sari consistently, over
the course of her lifetime, spoke negatively
about Joe ALL THE TIME, then she would
end up with the bill for a lot of Joe’s negative
actions. Every time she speaks, a bit gets
chipped off of Joe’s bill and goes to her. It’s so
incredibly important that we teach ourselves
to only speak positively (or just don’t speak
about people at all), because it would be a real
shame to work hard our whole lives and lose
some (or a lot) of what we've gained.
On a positive note, if you hear someone speaking
negatively about you and you DON’T hit back,
you’ve just gained a tremendous merit, and
you’ve recovered some of your own debt.
the Rabbi.
Have a Nageela Shabbos,
Who complained when Moses
destroyed the golden calf?
Cow-Rach!
OUCH! GROAN!
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It doesn't get much better than Moses, right? I
mean, he's the ultimate leader. He's literally saved
the entire Jewish nation many, many times, and
he's their teacher, guide, advisor and advocste.
Now this dud Korach (a cousin of Moses) startd
a rebellion. Korach gets obliterated. The ground
literally opens up to swallow him. His followers get
burned by a heavenly fire. Moses is proven right
and everyone is happy, right?
Nope!
The very next day, pretty much everyone
comes complaining to Moses that he has used
disproportionate force. He caused people to die.
Ahhhh! What does Moses do? He prays for the
people so that God won't be too angry at them.
Lesson 1: No matter how many times you prove
someone wrong, or how well you do it, they'll
always find a way to challenge you.
Lesson 2: No matter how many times people try to
hurt you, take a lesson from Moses. We want the
people to change their thoughts and actions. We
don't people to get hurt, even if they have hurt us.
www.nageelawest.org
Nageela West breaks the
mold of old school Jewish
outreach by providing out- ofthe- box social and educational
programs for Jewish children
across the west coast. Through
afterschool activities, weekend retreats and our signature summer
camp, we engage elementary and middle school children in a fun and
meaningful experience.
Our “questions encouraged” mindset makes Nageela a comfortable
learning and growing environment for Jewish children of all
backgrounds.
844-NAGEELA www.nageelawest.org info@nageelawest.org