The Weekly Shtikle - Eikev (Kiddush)

We will be making a kiddush this Shabbos at our home, 3410 Olympia Ave at 11:30 in honour of the birth of our daughter, Michal. For all those who are unable to attend, below is what I plan to say at the kiddush. My apologies for not providing something which applies directly to the parsha.

One shtick I like to do, when someone has a simcha, is to try and extract something meaningful from the aliyah which they received for that simcha. When we named Michal, on Shabbas Parshas Beha'alosecha, my aliyah contained the parsha of the chatzotzeros, the trumpets that were used in the Mishkan to herald various significant events. What struck me as significant was that we are commanded to use the very instruments for all occasions. Whether it was a joyous occasion such as a Yom Tov or a serious and grave situation such as a fast day or imminent war, the same trumpets were used, just with a different array of sounds. This idea was very much reflected by the Lady for whom Michal is named, my great aunt, Lady Amélie Jakobovits. One of her many virtues was that she was always there for people. Whether they were a member of her immediate family, a member of her extended family, a member of the British Jewish Community or a member of Klal Yisroel at large, she was always there for people through the good times and the bad. She traveled far and wide to make it to family semachos. When my mother, a"h, her niece, was already not well and she was on this continent, she made a special visit to Ottawa to be with her. And it was always with the same wit, the same charm and the same warmth no matter what the circumstances - good or bad. As we spend her early years being there for our Michal, we hope that she grows up to always be there for others.

At the kiddush, I also intend to make a siyum on Shas Mishnayos, which I completed with the Mishnah Yomis program a few weeks ago. A quick thought on that: The last masechta in Shas is Uktzin. After discussing various halachos concerning tum'ah related to food items, the mishnayos end off discussing which parts of those foods are considered an integral part even though they are not eaten and thus, can contribute to the contracting or spreading of tum'ah and/or completing the necessary measure that a food must meet in order to be subject to those laws. This is a fitting way to end off the mishnayos. The middle sedarim of mishnayos are the ones that are typically given more focus, perhaps mostly because they are far more applicable but also because they are easier to learn and teach in yeshivos. It could be said that they constitute the "ochel" of the mishnayos. The latter sedarim (and most of zeraim as well) are far more tedious and often given less attention. Nevertheless, they are all equally important integral components of the larger package of Shisah Sidrei Mishnah.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

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