Sign In Forgot Password

Sponsored by: CLICK HERE TO DONATE

  • 		                                		                                <span class="slider_title">
		                                    Maghen Abraham		                                </span>
  • 		                                		                                <span class="slider_title">
		                                    Maghen Abraham		                                </span>
  • 		                                		                                <span class="slider_title">
		                                    Maghen Abraham		                                </span>

Update kiddush - M A Weekly - Bulletin Feb 1st 2025 - BO - 3 SHEVAT 5785

01/30/2025 09:32:39 PM

Jan30

M.A. WEEKLY

                      
 

 CLIQUEZ ICI Pour voir ce communiqué en Français (Traduction automatique par Google)

SCHEDULE

SHABBAT TIMES

Friday Night, @Maghen Abraham

 

Mincha 4:40pm followed by Shir Hashirim -Kabbalat Shabbat - Arvit

 

Shabbat Candle lighting  4:42 pm

 

Saturday - @Maghen Abraham  

 

Shahrit 9am

 

Perasha -  BO

Haftara - Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) Chapter 46:13-28

 

Kiddush Sponsored by

Joe Benamor in honor of the Hazkarah of his Father Mimon Bat Esther z'L

 

Mincha 4:20PM followed by Arvit & Havdalah

 

Havdalah: 5:49pm

 

>Montreal Shabbat/Holiday Calendar 5785 can be found here<

 

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

TU B'SHVAT

- Thursday FEB 12

UPCOMING THIS WEEK

CELEBRATIONS

 

 

MABROOK!!!

Sylvain Chemtob

on his Birthday

 

 

HAZKAROT

 

HAZKARAH

 Mimon Benamor z'L

Father Joe Benamor

 

 

HAZKARAH

 YAACOV LUGASSY BEN ETTY z'L

Brother of Tamar Israel

 

 

NOTICES

The cOMMUNITY OFFERS IT's CONDOLENCES TO 
NAdIA NACHTIGALL-SASSON on the passing of her Grandfather Moises Botner z'L
___________________________________________________
refua shelema to AHOUVA BAT MAZAL
___________________________________________________

REFUA SHELEMA TO Shlomo Ben Linda

NEWSLETTER

Bonjour / Hello [nickname_else_first_name],

Table of contents

 

1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour

2) Halakhat Hashavoua (Halakhot related to day to day life) By Hazzan David Azerad  -

The Reason for the Ketoret -Peninei Halacha

3) Holy Jokes!

4) For KIDS

 

 

 This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour

Parashat Bo: Constant Growth

Parashat Bo tells us of G-d’s commands to Beneh Yisrael regarding the Korban Pesah – the paschal sacrifice which they offered on the night of the Exodus, before they left Egypt. G-d commanded Moshe to instruct the people to place the blood of the sacrifice on the two sides of the doorposts ("Mezuzot") and on the top of the doorframe ("Mashkof" – 12:7). Interestingly, however, when Moshe relayed these commands to the people, he reversed the sequence, instructing them to place blood on the top of the doorframe and then on the posts. Why did Moshe deviate from G-d’s instructions, and reverse the sequence?

King Shlomo teaches us in Mishleh (3:16), "Orech Yamim Bi’yminah Bi’smolah Osher Ve’chavod" – "Longevity is to the right [of Torah], and to the left is wealth and honor." It has been suggested that the doorposts, which stand to the right and to the left of a person as he walks through, symbolize these blessings of longevity, wealth and honor. Sometimes a person involves himself in Torah for ulterior motives, hoping to earn reward. He commits himself not out of a genuine devotion to the Almighty, but rather to receive the rewards promised for involvement in Torah. The Gemara in Masechet Pesahim (50b) famously teaches that although learning "She’lo Li’shmah" – for insincere motives – is less than ideal, it is nevertheless acceptable. The reason is that once a person begins getting involved in Torah out of self-serving motives, he will, with time, reach the level of "Li’shmah" – learning Torah for sincere, altruistic reasons. Accordingly, G-d instructed Beneh Yisrael to begin with the "doorposts" – the rewards for Torah. Before we can rise to the level of "Li’shmah," where we learn and practice out of a deep-seated and genuine love of G-d, we should first begin with the more modest level of "She’lo Li’shmah," involving ourselves in Torah in order to reap the practical benefits that it offers us.

The question then becomes, why did Moshe reverse the order? Why did he tell the people to start with the "top," with the ideal level of "Li’shmah," and only then to descend to the "doorposts," to the ulterior motives for learning Torah?

The answer is that growth is an ongoing, lifelong process. Every time we rise to a new level of spiritual achievement, we must look further to the next level. The new level we have achieved should, with time, seem to us unsatisfactory, such that we then set our sights upon a more ambitious level. This is indicated by the Gemara’s formulation in Pesahim: "A person should always engage in Torah and Misvot even not for their sake…" The Gemara teaches us that one should always study and practice "She’lo Li’shmah." Once a person reaches a level of "Li’shmah," that level should then seem like "She’lo Li’shmah." The level of sincerity we achieve now should seem to us later as insincere. We must constantly be striving to raise our standards, to grow in our level of sincerity and purity of motives. And thus Moshe told the people that after they reach the "Mashkof," the exalted level of "Li’shmah," they must then descend, so-to-speak, and see themselves back on the level of the "Mezuzot," the level of "She’lo Li’shmah." What seems to us as an admirable spiritual achievement now must seem insufficient as we continue to grow and develop in our religious commitment.

This is one of the vital messages that Beneh Yisrael were taught at this moment, as they were about to leave Egypt and become G-d’s sacred nation. They were told that they need to constantly grow and advance, that no achievement is ever sufficient. Every new level we reach should be celebrated, but we mustn’t stop there. We must continue working to progress and reach ever greater heights, each day of our lives, one modest achievement at a time.

 

 

Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad

 

The Reason for the Ketoret -Peninei Halacha

Just as the Tamid offering was brought daily, the Ketoret (incense) was also brought every day, half in the morning and half in the afternoon. The Korban Tamid expresses Israel’s connection to Hashem, and the bond that all worldly creations have to their source of life. Therefore its organs were offered on the exterior altar, visible to all. However, the Ketoret gives expression to the deep inner connection between Israel and Hashem, and therefore it was offered on the interior altar inside the Temple. The Tamid offering connects all creations in their material and tangible components to Hashem. For that reason, the essence of the offering was the blood thrown on the altar and the organs offered upon it. The Korban HaKetoret, on the other hand, is the quintessential spiritual offering, epitomized by the incomparably pleasing scent that emanates from the spices of the incense.

 

Through the Ketoret, a sublime spiritual light appears in the world which illuminates the inner souls of all creations and connects everything to holiness. Therefore, it was made out of spices that exude a pleasant scent, for smell is the most refined and spiritual pleasure there is in the world. The scent extends in all directions, to hint that all creations are influenced by an inner spiritual illumination that elevates them and binds them to holiness (Olat Ra’ayah p. 135).

 

There were eleven spices in the Ketoret, all grounded thoroughly together so that they would be united completely, producing a favorable scent. Similarly, by unifying all powers completely for the sake of holiness, the world is uplifted and repaired.

 

One of the primary spices in the incense is the chelbenah (galbanum), which alludes to the sinners of Israel, who, in their roots, are equally connected to the sanctity of Israel. The chelbenah had a particularly foul aroma. However, blended with the special mixture of the Ketoret, its odor would transform to good; instead of ruining the fragrance of the Ketoret, the addition of the chelbenah would make the smell of the Ketoret even more praiseworthy. This comes to teach us that when all the forces of Israel unite for the sake of a sanctified goal, the inner merit of the sinners of Israel is revealed, and they too join to aid in the rectification of the Jewish nation and the world (see Olat Ra’ayah, part 1, pp. 136-138).

 

Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach

David Azerad


 

 

 

 3) HOLY JoKeS!!

 

Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah or current events, to brighten your day 


 

 

 

 

4) FOR KIDS

Click on the image to open the youtube video

 

 

 

LIFECYCLE EVENTS

Celebrate a lifecycle event with us by sponsoring a Kiddouch

 

CONGREGATION MAGHEN ABRAHAM

 

Contact Us

Maghen Abraham
POB 111, Succ Snowdon, Montreal,

H3X 3T3

 

Synagogue:
4894 St-Kévin 
Montréal, Québec, Canada 
macommunaute@maghenabraham.com

 
Tue, February 18 2025 20 Shevat 5785