The students in grades 4 - 8 had their CanWest spelling bee finals this Thursday afternoon. The
final showdown came down to last year's runner-up, Ander, from grade 5, and another finalist, Steven, from grade 4. Ander eventually won the contest. 

Above, Ander spells a word and left, guest judge Jared Roth (Hillel graduate and last year's winner) presents runner-up Steven with his certificate for participating in the spelling bee. 

Scientists in School in Grade 4 

Above, Rabbi Eli Benzaquen, a local Sofer (scribe), shows Grade 6 students how to fix a Torah scroll.

Baking in Hebrew

D'var Torah - Mishpatim 

Traditionally, the introduction to the study of Talmud begins with the study of Rashi's commentary on this week's Torah reading, Mishpatim. Rashi gives a synopsis of Talmudic law as it applies to the numerous Halachic topics that form the content of this week's parasha. Rashi's concise but poignant commentary elucidates many of the difficulties one encounters in studying the various laws mentioned in Mishpatim.

However, Rashi's concise notes encourage his readers to explore the original rabbinic statements from Talmud that he paraphrases, in order to gain a better perspective on the Halacha that he is examining. Nowhere does this observation become more pronounced than in Rashi's opening words to the first verse of Mishpatim.

ואלה המשפטים-ואלה מוסיף על הראשונים Rashi in interpreting the words, "And these are the laws", notes that the first letter of the first word, ואלה, the letter 'vav' meaning 'and' seems to be superfluous. Rashi indicates that this conjunction connects the listing of the commandments given at Sinai, as mentioned in the previous parasha with those listed in Mishpatim. In other words, not only are the Ten Commandments given at Sinai, the others listed in Mishpatim and elsewhere also come from Sinai.

However, when one examines the source for Rashi's statement, which is the Mechilta, one notes that the Ten Commandments are called עליונים, while the commandments of Mishpatim are called תחתונים. The former term refers to the exalted state of those particular rulings, while the latter describes these laws as perhaps inferior.

In truth, all of these laws come from the same source, G-d. Many are mindful of the Ten Commandments, but rationalize to themselves their violation of interpersonal law as being secondary. Mishpatim is primarily interested in interpersonal law, especially in its ethical dimension. The Jew cannot afford to be lax in the observance of these laws, thinking his observance of the ritual law is more meaningful and by extension, holy. All of Jewish law is sacred. As the laws of the Torah are placed before the people of Israel at Sinai, so too should they be arranged before us today to study and to observe.

- Rabbi Howard Finkelstein