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Table of contents
1) Synagogue Closure due to Government Restrictions
2) Tu B'Shvat
3) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
4) Halakhat Hashavoua - David Azerad
5) Holy Jokes!
1) Synagogue Closure due to Government Restrictions
Per government requirements in order to limit the spread of the covid omicron variant, all places of worship are to be closed.
We will keep you updated as developments progress as to when we will be able to reopen.
We hope all our members stay safe and remain healthy in this special time
2) Tu B'Shvat
Sunday Night to Monday afternoon is Tu B'Shvat where traditionally a seder is enjoyed featuring fruits in honor of the holiday.
While some version of the Kabbalistic order is often followed in eating fruits and nuts on Tu BiShvat, it is generally customary to eat dried fruits and nuts even among those who are not following the Kabbalistic rite. Figs, dates, raisins, carob, and almonds are especially popular. Many people also incorporate into their seders the Seven Species associated with the Land of Israel in the Torah, which according to Deuteronomy 8:8 are wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
In Kabbalistic terms, the fruits that one eats, dried or fresh, can be divided up from lower or more manifest to higher or more spiritual, as follows:
- Fruits and nuts with hard, inedible exteriors and soft edible insides, such as oranges, bananas, walnuts, and pistachios. Note that some count oranges and other citrus as wholly edible, in keeping with the interpretation of the etrog as being on the highest level.
- Fruits and nuts with soft exteriors, but with a hard pit inside, such as dates, apricots, olives and persimmons
- Fruit that is eaten whole, such as figs and berries.
Kabbalistic tradition teaches that eating fruits in this order creates a connection with the Tree of Life that God placed in the Garden of Eden, as mentioned in the Book of Genesis, where Adam and Eve had been placed after their creation, which is also represented by the Sephirot. In effect one is traveling from the most external or manifest dimension of reality, symbolized by fruits with a shell, to the most inner dimension, symbolized not even by the completely edible fruits but rather by a fourth level that may be likened to smell. At the same time, one drinks various proportions of red and white grape juice or wine, from white to red with just a drop of white in it, also corresponding to these stages.
-Wikipedia
3)PERASHAT HASHAVOUA
Parashat Beshalah: No Effort Goes Unrewarded
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
The Haftara for Parashat Beshalah is the fifth chapter of the Book of Shoftim, which presents "Shirat Debora" – the famous song of praise sung by the prophetess Debora and the general, Barak, after Beneh Yisrael’s miraculous victory over the army of the Canaanite king Yabin. Parashat Beshalah tells of the miracle of the splitting of the sea and Beneh Yisrael’s song of praise which they sang after the miracle, and so appropriately, the Hafara is the song sung by Debora after the miraculous triumph over the Canaanites.
As part of her introduction to the song, Debora exclaims, "Anochi L’Hashem Anochi Ashira" – "I – to Hashem I shall sing" (5:3). Rashi cites a fascinating comment of the Midrash to explain why Debora here repeats the word "Anochi." There is a famous tradition that before the Torah was given at Sinai, two mountains in Eretz Yisrael – Carmel and Tabor – vied for the privilege of hosting the great event of Matan Torah. G-d, however, turned down their request in favor of Mount Sinai. G-d assured them, though, that He would reward them for their desire and quest to serve as the site when the Torah was given. Both mountains, later in history, became sites of a spectacular Kiddush Hashem (glorification of G-d’s Name). The prophet Eliyahu challenged the prophets of the pagan god Ba’al to a confrontation on Mount Carmel, where he offered a sacrifice, whereupon a heavenly fire descended and consumed the offering. This created a remarkable Kiddush Hashem, as the crowd of people who had gathered recognized G-d, bowed and proclaimed, "Hashem Hu Ha’Elokim" – "Hashem is the true G-d!" And Mount Tabor was the site of Beneh Yisrael’s miraculous victory over the Canaanites during the time of Debora, where G-d’s supernatural power became clear to one and all.
The word "Anochi" is repeated in Debora’s song, Rashi explains, to indicate that Tabor received twice the glory as Sinai. At the time of Matan Torah, the word "Anochi" was pronounced just once, in the proclamation, "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" ("I am Hashem your G-d"), but at Tabor, Debora pronounced "Anochi" twice – because despite its initial disappointment, Tabor ended up receiving twice the glory of Mount Sinai.
No effort to perform a Misva goes unrewarded. We should never hesitate to exert effort and attempt to do a Misva – big or small – because regardless of the outcome, we will be duly rewarded for the work we invest. Just like Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel, we will not always succeed in our endeavors, and we will, on occasion, experience disappointment. But we are assured that even if our efforts are unsuccessful, they are never fruitless and never in vain, because G-d cherishes and rewards us for all the work and effort that we invest.
3) HALAKHAT HASHAVOUA
Selected & translated by David Azerad, Hazzan Maghen Abraham
Laws and customs of Tu BiShvat Maran Rishon L’etzion Harav Yitzchak Yosef Shelita
Tu BiShvat is Rosh Hashanah La’ilanot(for the trees).And we do not fast on Tu Bishvat nor do we say Tachanun.
It is customary to study on the night of Tu B'Shvat, and read Mishnah and Zohar as it is written in the book “ Pri Etz Hadar” that has been printed especially for Tu Bishvat and one should study in particular as much as possible, the laws of Tu BiShvat,
It is customary to eat many different types of fruits on the night of Tu BiShvat, and especially fruits that have been Blessed/praised in the Torah from the Land of Israel, to show that it is Rosh Hashanah for trees, and to bless them with the blessings they deserve.
In a year where Tu Bi’Shvat falls on Shabbat, (Friday night) some have the custom to bring out the fruits and make the Berachot (blessings) immediately after the Kiddush, before washing the hands for the meal. This custom has several opinions and controversies among the Chachamim (Rabbis) as to whether they should say Beracha Me’en Shalosh ``Blessing of Mezonot[cakes ,cookies etc…../Wine or Fruits mentioned in the Torah} after eating the fruits.Or will we be exempt by saying Birkat Hamazon.For those who follow this custom they may not to say Bracha Acharona as they will be saying Birkat Hamazon (grace after meal) and that will take care of all the foods consumed.The perferred custom on Friday night is either to bring out the fruits after the Motzee and not after Kidush OR do the Seder during Seudah shelishit.
It is customary to prepare the etrog in sugar and make it like jam and eat it on the night of Tu B'Shvat, and we do not say the Beracha of shehecheyanu since we have made it already when we were shaking the Lulav and Etrog on the first day of sukkot However, a woman should recite Shehecheyanu since she did not shake the Lulav and Etrog(according to Minhag Sefarad }
Fruits that are known that they may contain worms need to be opened and inspected before reciting the Beracha {and that is true throughout the year}
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom
David Azerad
4) HOLY JoKeS!!
Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah, to brighten your day
The main story of this week’s Torah portion is the SPLITTING of the Red Sea. The Sages tell us that G-d wanted the entire world to witness this great miracle. So what did He do? He made an additional miracle that at the moment of the splitting of the sea, all the liquids in the world split in half. For example, if someone was drinking a hot bowl of pea soup, it turned into SPLIT PEA SOUP. If someone was licking a banana, it turned into a BANANA SPLIT. This caused all the people of the world to talk about the great miracle that G-d did for the Jewish people.
When the Egyptians say that the Red Sea split for the Jewish people, they were sure that it would split for them as well. They all went charging into the Red Sea, only to have the water come crashing down on their heads. Thousands of gallons of water falling on your head can be very painful. But this was not just an ordinary headache. It was a SPLITTING HEADACHE!
by Yankel Moskowitz
