Horaire des Fetes
Mercredi 11 octobre : Hochana Rabba;
Chahrit à 6 :30 am
Minha/ Arbit à 6 :00 pm
Jeudi 12 octobre : Chmini Atseret – Machiv Harouah
Chahrit à 8 :30 am / Minha – Arbit à 6 :00 pm
HAKAFOT SIMHAT TORAH
Vendredi 13 octobre : Chahrit : 8 :30 Am
Hatannim et hakafot
Simhat Torah
This year our Hatanim are
Hatan Méonah : Jeremy Cohen
Hatan Torah: David Bassal
Hatan Bereshit: Benjamin Pisarevsky
Come Celebrate with us the end of the high holidays and the completion and start of the sefer torah " A la Libanaise!"
Friday after services we will have a big and festive luncheon buffet as is our custom
The following is from our archives
- Halakhat Hashavoua by Emil Khadoury z'L Dated October 6th 2006
HOSHANA RABAH
The seventh day of Sukkot is Hoshana Rabah,named for the fact that we marhed around the Teba ,holding the Lulav & Etrog,after the Hallel,seven times,six more than the usual we do every day except on Shabbat.we also read selihot during the Hakafot(circling around the Teba).since that Hoshana Rabah is also known as the day of the final sealing of Judgment ,which began on Rosh Hashana.The Rabbis explain that Kippur & Hoshana Rabah,have similar aspects they are both days of judgment.
During the festival of Sukkot the world is judged for water and for the blessings of the fruits & crops.The seventh day which is Hoshana Rabah,is the final sealing,and since human life depends on water,that day is somewhat similar to Yom Kippur.After the seven Hakafot ,comes the beating of a bundle of five branches of Araba(willow branch) five times against the earth,wihtout saying any blessing,since it was merely a custom.
After we accomplish the Mitzvah of the Etrog & Lulav,on Hoshana Rabah,we should not throw them.The Minhag(custom)is to keep the Lulav till Pesah to burn the Hametz with it ,and the Erog ,we could give it to a pregnant woman after cooking it to eat it,or to bite off the Pitom(tip).so she will have an easy labor ,and give a good smell to the baby,as brought down by some Rabbis, it does not hurt to embrace all these Minhagim(customs).Hag Sameah.
Va-alekhem Tabo Birkat Hatob
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Emil(Benyamin) Khadoury z'L
The following is a reprint of the Weekly Publication "the Voice os Sassoon" Parasha of the week by RAV Yehuda Cohen Dated October 6th 2007
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.”
