On Sunday Jews from all over the Catskills had the opportunity to take part in the Mitzvah of ‘Peter Chamor,’ the ceremony when a donkey’s firstborn male is redeemed for a sheep or goat, which is then given to a Kohen.
This exceedingly rare Mitzvah was performed by the Klausenberger Rebbe at the farm located at the Klausenberger Yeshiva bungalow colony in Woodbourne, NY.
Hundreds of chassidim from all over the Catskills came to partake in the Mitzvah. It was a beautiful event and a big Kiddush Hashem.
Well said! but in the future could you close up your parentheses?
the sheep looks eatiful
why use this chance to spite at meshichistim? use your own time to shape up your ahavas yisroel
Pidyon Bichorim not “BICHOROS” (I think)
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH #13 EVREYONE SHOULD READ IT AND LISTEN FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Sforno Ztz”l says that we don’t find a chiyuv pidyon by other behaimo tmeyo, the reason we are podeh the bchor from a chamor is that Hashem gave us the chamorim of the Mitzrim to take the rechus out of Mitzrayim. Since the chamorim were chosen for this task a kedushah was chal on them.
comparing donkeys to the egyptian firstborns of old is not made up. its rashi who says it im pretty sure
I believe that the first born son of a Democratic (as in donkey party) politician also needs to be redeemed, with the sheep in this case representing those who voted for his father.
I meant response to #12
Thanks #15. I agree. When Hashem sees His children coming together for no reason other than to do a mitzvah in a public and joyous way He undoubtedly derives much nachas. And -whether or not non-Jews saw it – I think that it is mekadesh shem shomayim. ( Being a good example is certainly another way of making a kiddush Hashem – but not the only one. Dear # 14, The person who made the comparison with the Egyptians was quoting the Gemara and Rashi on the possuk. Also, I am a Lubavitcher and was there, I saw other Lubavitcher… Read more »
The Rambam writes that a Kiddush Hashem is when a Mitzvah is done for its own sake.
“Kiddush Hashem”, although generally used as you described, does not require non-jews.
Hundreds of Jews, of different madregos, coming together in a peaceful way to witness a rare mitzvah is clearly an unusual revelation of Hashem’s holiness.
TOTALLY Wrong interpretation… A. the only source of income, ie food etc, were the rights Of the Kohen, as he and his whole tribe, were not given any land to use, or cultivate. The firstborn animal was given to a Kohen for his usage As were many other animals. Many commandments that the Torah command us , is done specifically, so that the Kohanim and all their tribe, have their material needs and substance met, and also in appreciation for their difficult altruistic services. The concept that, THE DONKEY IS COMPARED TO AN EGYPTIAN IS INSULTING AND STUPID 1.IF THAT… Read more »
if we all learned rambam we would all know. that was the rebbes kavana….instead of shouting yechi ect. use the same energy to learn rambam.
kiddush hashem????
that’s like saying a bris affair is a kiddush hashem.
i think a kiddush hashem is when non-jews see something jews do and praise god because of thei jews’ behaviour, like helping an old person across the street.
but this scene? looks cultish, sacrificial and contains noting that would cause the unintiated to praise god.
i’m not saying it’s not a mitzva. i’m, not saying not to do it. but to call it a kiddush hahsem?
Go Learn
To #4, thanks! very well written.
To #8, well, maybe you should go learn how to talk to your fellow people!!
Peter Who? Is he a Lubavitcher?
We say it every day in Rabeinu Tam Tefilin!! What a BUSHA that my fellow Lubavitchers don’t know an explicit Mitzva in the Torah!! GO LEARN SOMETHING and stop wasting your time on the internet.
Egloh Arufa is another Mitzvah involving if someone dies between cities…
No, the animal (the sheep) was given to a kohen.
was the animal slaughtered? we do that these days?? someone pleeeease please explain!?
In Parshas Bo the Torah tells us of the mitzvos bechoros. After saving the Jewish firstborn in Egypt, all Jewish bechoros would be sanctified, and must be redeemed by giving 5 selaim to a kohen. That is known as pidyon haben. The bechor of kosher animals owned (wholly) by a Jew also has kedushah. It must be given to a kohen who brings it as a korban shelamim. (This poses serious problems today since the bechor is hekdesh and cannot be slaughtered, worked, or sheared. For this reason the gemara recommends that we avoid it by having a kohenn ,… Read more »
when you know that your donkey had a firstborn “baby donkey”, it is a mitzva to redeem it by trading it with a sheep to a kohen (because the firstborn donkeys are special in hashems eyes because 1 hashem killed all firstborn egyptians 2 firstborn egyptians are compared to donkeys). if it is not redeemed, one should break the donkeys neck (eglah arufa i think) this is the basic, i myself am not so versed in it especially because its such a rare mitzva, in fact this is the first occasion for peter chamor that i saw happened in my… Read more »
sorry-what the mitzvah?
Looks like a beautiful event. Just curious, were there Lubavitcher rabbonim there?