Bonjour / Hello [nickname_else_first_name],
Table of contents
1) Elections
2) Passing of Renee Mann z'L
3) Thoughts on Shabbat Bereshit (Mayer Sasson)
4) Perashat Hashavoua (Archives: Rabbi YL Cohen)
5) Halakhat Hashavoua (Archives: Emil Khdoury z'L)
1) Elections
Maghen Abraham is holding elections for the board members.
RESERVE THE DATE: October 24th 10AM-12PM
For those that wish to be on the upcoming board, submit your names to VOTE@MAGHENABRAHAM.COM BEFORE OCTOBER 17th 2021
Who can Vote / Present themselves on the ballot
- Member households
- head of household (husband + wife or unmarried person)
- Children over 18 that legally live in the same household of their parents that are full members and are not married (married children are considered separate households)
- Membership dues and accounts are up to date
- Has been a registered member for more than 6 months
- Non active member households
- household has been registered and active within the past 2 years as long as they are up to date with membership dues and accounts before the AGA
All membership that will be voting will need to register in advance by providing the name and email addresses of the household members for verification (voter registration) by October 17th 2021 .
Registration by email to VOTE@MAGHENABRAHAM.COM
Members of the election committe will be confirmed next week
2) Passing of Renee Mann z'L
Dear [nickname_else_first_name],
This past Monday we lost one of our community members, Renee Mann z'L, mother of one of our founders and past president, Albert Mann.
For those of us who had the privilege to know her she was a very energetic and cheerful member of our community.
We offer the Mann family our sincere condolences.
Tihyeh Nishmata began eden.
Chere [nickname_else_first_name],
C'est avec une grande tristesse que nous vous annonçons le décès de Renée Mann z'L ce lundi dernier, mère d'un de nos fondateurs et ancien président, Albert Mann.
Pour ceux d'entre nous qui ont eu le privilège de la connaître, elle était une membre de notre communauté très énergique et joyeux .
Nous offrons à la famille Mann nos plus sincères condoléances.
Les services commémoratifs seront annoncés lorsqu'ils seront disponibles.
Tihyeh Nishmata began eden.
Mayer Sasson
President
Maghen Abraham
3) Thoughts on Shabbat Bereishit
(Mayer Sasson - Published in S&P Bulletin)
The Essence of Man
"… all herbage of the field was still before it sprouted for G-d had not caused it to rain upon earth and Man was not there to work the soil." (2,5)
On the words "all herbage of the field was still before it sprouted Rashi explains: When the Creation of the world was finished on the sixth day before Man was created "all herbage of the field was still before it sprouted". Why? What delayed the sprouting of the herbage? Rashi explains: "for G-d had not caused it to rain". Why not? "Because "Man was not there to work the soil" and appreciate the good of the rain. And when Man came and knew that rain was needed for the world, he prayed for it and it rained and the trees and grass grew."
We learn something wonderful here! Even though the Creation was totally completed and it says "and G-d saw that it was good", nevertheless, the rain, upon which the entire world depends and is nourished, did not fall. Why? Because the prayers of Man, who appreciates their good, were missing; because it is only when a person asks and prays to the Creator for rain that it rains and brings life to the entire creation.
The Ben Ish Chai adds that the essence of Man is prayer and without prayers he is nothing! Because there are so many material and spiritual needs that a person could not achieve them by himself – and therefore he must always raise his eyes to Heaven in prayer and supplication.
And therefore the Torah says "ואדם אין" – "Man is not there". In other words, without prayers a person is not considered a person and he is like "not there", for a person's entire essences is to ask and pray, as David Hamelech said, "And I am prayer".
SHABBAT SHALOM!!
4) PERASHAT HASHAVOUA is from the archives
By/Par : Rabbi YL Cohen
He is a Lebanese Jewish Rabbi living in Australia
Bereishit -Date 21 TISHREI 5768 / 06 October 2007
The Torah opens with “Bereishit / In the beginning Hashem created Heaven and Earth” . Rashi in his comments cites Rab Yitzhak who says that since the Torah is primarily a book of laws , it should have begun with the first law that was given to Israel as a nation –the Commandment of the New Moon (Shemot/Exodus 12:2). He explains that the Torah opens with Creation in order to establish that Hashem is the sole Sovereign of the Universe. If the nations accuse Israel of banditry for seizing the lands of the Seven Nations of Canaan, Israel will respond : The entire Universe belongs to Hashem . He created it and He granted it to whomever He deemed fit . It was His desire to give it to them and then it was His desire to take it from them and give it to Israel(Tehillim/Psalms 111:6)
Homiletically, the word “Bereishit” can be explained as “Bishbil Reishit” meaning the world was created bishbil/for the sake of Reishit/ the things which are called Reishit. What are the things that the Torah calls Reishit ? Rashi believes that they are the Torah (Mishlei/Proverbs 8:22)and Israel (Jeremiah 2:3)as the main reason for Creation is that Israel would accept and fulfill the Torah. However, the Midrash adds on many other things which the Torah calls Reishit : the Firstborn , the First Fruits , the gifts to the Priests/Kohanim … The implication is that the purpose of Creation is to enable the Jew to dedicate his first efforts to the service of Hashem in the Beit Hammikdash/Temple ,the resting place of Hashem’s Presence among Israel (It should be noted that Beit-Hammikdash begins with the letter Beit).
Hazal/our Sages of blessed memory were puzzled by the fact that our holy Torah begins with the letter Beit (the second letter of the Hebrew Alfabet) and not the Alef (the first letter). Although they are many commentaries , the simplest one is brought by Midrash Rabbah 1:10 which explains that the Beit refers to Berachah/blessing while the Alef refers to Arirah/curse. In my opinion, the Beit links the beginning to the end of the Torah. It refers to Moshe last day of his life when he gathered Israel ,old and young, men and women in order to initiate them into the covenant of Hashem . Moshe said to Israel :” See- I have placed before you today the life and the good , and the death and the evil which I command you today, to love Hashem, your G-d, to walk in His ways, to observe His commandments, His decrees and His ordinances; then you will live and will multiply and Hashem your G-d will bless you in the Land to which you come to possess it”( Debarim / Deuteronomy 30:15,16) . Then Moshe added :” I call heaven and earth today to bear witness against you : I have placed life and death before you , blessing and curse and youshall choose life so that you will live , you and your offspring “(Debarim/ Deuteronomy 30:19) . That was Moshe last exhortation which is in fact the sole purpose of Creation.
But how can we see this link between the beginning and the end of the Five Books of Moses?
The Torah ends with the letter "lamed" - "for all the great might and awesome power that Moshe displayed before all Yisrael" - and begins with the letter "beit" - "Bereishit /in the beginning Hashem created Heaven and Earth." These two letters form the word, "leb/ heart”. Moshe , in his last address, ordered Israel “ to love Hashem”. How? As we read in the opening of the Keriat Shemaa which is recited daily , “You shall love Hashem , your G-d with all your heart…”
There is some parallelism with the exile of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the exile of Israel from the Holy Land. Adam and Eve were punished for not obeying Hashem and by eating the forbidden fruit while Israel was warned that they will go into exile if they will not obey Hashem’s Commandments . In fact , this is the main punishment (of the curse) for not obeying Hashem. Unfortunately, Israel suffered two exiles after the destruction of the First and Second Beit Hammikdash/Temple.
“It (the Torah) is a tree for life for those who grasp it, and its supporters are praiseworthy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace. Lengthy days are at its right ; at its left are wealth and honor”(Mishlei/Proverbs 3:18 ,3:17 and 3:16) “Hashem desired , for the sake of its (Israel) righteousness, that the Torah be made great and glorious”(Isaiah 42:21)
Haftarah: (Isaiah 42:5-21 Koh amar ha-Kel Hashem boreh hashamayim…)
The Haftarah speaks of Creation in present tense, because Hashem must renew it constantly; otherwise the universe would cease to exist. Hashem ‘s purpose for Israel to guide Mankind to His service :”to bring the people to the Covenant , to be a light to the nations”; to assist them remove the impediments that prevent their eyes and ears from seeing and hearing the truth. However, Israel sins and as result of its failure, Hashem allowed it to be plundered . But the downfall is not permanent as Hashem will restore Israel to its eminence.
(Previous) Quiz of the week: From which word is Yeshurun derived from ?
Answer: Yeshurun comes from yashar which means upright,straight, just meaning that it does not deviate from the high standards demanded by Hashem. It refers to Israel.
Quiz of the week: What was God's first commandment to man?
Joke of the week:
“Oy va voy! Rabbi Levi, it’s a terrible business! Old Eve owes the moneylender $250 and she hasn’t got a penny to pay him. They are going to throw her out of her apartment , she can’t feed the children and she’s got a bad back and can’t work…”
“Terrible business,” agrees the Rabbi, “I’ll raise some money at the Synagogue right away. I’ll give $100 myself and the Jewish welfare will give $150. Tell me, are you a relation ? What’s your connection?”
“Oh me! I’m the moneylender.”
5) HALAKHAT HASHAVOUA is from the archives
By/Par : Emil-Benyamin Khadoury z'L (2010)
Posted
WEEK OF OCTOTBER 8th 2006
Rosh Hodesh (new month according to the moon)
Rosh Hodesh symbolizes renewal,the ability of the Jewish people to rise up and restore itself to its past greatness.Just as the moon disappears at the end of each month ,but returns and grows to fullness.So Israel may suffer exile and decline,but it always renews itself.During the period of Syrian-Greek persecution.Rosh Hodesh was one of only three commandments whose observance was prohibited by the oppressors,the other two were the Sabbath and circumcision.The reason is since we based our calendar on the moon,to know when our religious festivals fall,and without a calendar ,there can be no festivals,thus the oppressors will have succeeded in eliminating large numbers of other mitzvot as well,by obliging us to end the observance of Rosh hodesh.
Instead the Jewish people rose up in defense of the Torah and the temple ,and their triumph is commemorated through the miracle of Hanuka,the festival of renewal.
This coming month of Rosh Hodesh Heshvan,will fall on Sunday and Monday Oct 29 & 30 (2008).The sign of Hesvan is Akrab(Scorpio)because earth is thirsty for water,and it always has a 2 days Rosh Hodesh,the second day is usually the beginning of the new month,
Rosh Hodesh Tob.
Va-alekhem Tabo Birkat Hatob
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Emil(Benyamin) Khadoury
