Sign In Forgot Password
  • 		                                		                                <span class="slider_title">
		                                    Maghen Abraham		                                </span>
  • 		                                		                                <span class="slider_title">
		                                    Maghen Abraham		                                </span>
  • 		                                		                                <span class="slider_title">
		                                    Maghen Abraham		                                </span>

M A Weekly - Bulletin Nov 30th 2024 - TOLDOT - 29 Cheshvan 5785

11/29/2024 11:52:49 AM

Nov29

M.A. WEEKLY

                      

 

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

 

 

SCHEDULE

SHABBAT TIMES

Friday Night, @Maghen Abraham

 

Mincha 3:50pm followed by Shir Hashirim -Kabbalat Shabbat - Arvit

 

Shabbat Candle lighting  3:55 pm

 

Saturday - SHABBAT MEVARECHIM @Maghen Abraham  

 

Shahrit 9am

 

Perasha -  TOLDOT

Haftara - Shmuel I (I Samuel) Chapter 20:18-42

 

Kiddush Sponsored by

Maghen Abraham

 

Mincha 3:50PM followed by Arvit & Havdalah

 

Havdalah: 5:02pm

 

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

ROSH CHODESH  -Saturday (Nov 30) Evening - Monday  (Dec 2) afternoon (No Tachanunim)

HANUKKAH - Evening of Wed, Dec 25, 2024 – Thu, Jan 2, 2025

 

UPCOMING THIS WEEK

CELEBRATIONS

MABROOK!!!

Albert Arazi on his
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parsha Anniversary

 

MABROOK!!!

Noni Zeitouni 

on her Birthday

 

 

HAZKAROT

HAZKARAH

Elim Khadoury z'L
Husband of Ruth Khadoury
Father of Adelina, Solly, Jimmy, Ivana & Eliott z'L
Brother of Morris Kadoury

​​​​​​​

 

NOTICES

___________________________________________________
THE COMMUNITY OFFERS IT'S CONDOLENCES TO THE ARAZI FAMILY ON THE PASSING OF 
MARCO ARAZI 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 Mitzva to Take Part in Shabbat Preparations -Peninei Halacha

3) Holy Jokes!

4) For KIDS

 

 

 This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour

Parashat Toledot: Understanding the Story of Yishak’s Blessing

***L’iluy nishmat Natan ben Shoshana Levy***


The story told in Parashat Toledot of the blessing which Yishak wished to give to Esav undoubtedly ranks among the most difficult stories in the entire Torah. Many questions arise when studying this story. First and foremost, how is it possible that Yishak decided to grant his blessing to Esav, instead of Yaakob? Could we possibly imagine that Yishak, one of our nation’s three patriarchs, was blind to Esav’s wicked nature? Yaakob was a "dweller of tents," a diligent student of Torah. Why would Yishak prefer to bless Esav?

Ribka’s involvement also requires explanation. If we look at the content of the blessing which Yishak gave Yaakob – thinking he was Esav – we see that he blessed him with material prosperity. He blessed him that G-d should grant him "from the dew of the heavens and from the fat of the earth, and an abundance of grain and wine." Why was Ribka so insistent that Yaakob receive this blessing? Yaakob, as mentioned, was devoted to Torah study, to a life of spirituality. Did he really need a blessing of wealth? Can we imagine anybody trying to encourage Hacham Ovadia Yosef ZT"L to receive a blessing that he should own a luxury car and a large private swimming pool? At first glance, this is precisely what happens in our Parasha – Ribka urges Yaakob, who devoted himself exclusively to Torah learning, to disguise as Esav so he could receive a blessing of wealth.

The Imreh Noam (Rav Meir Horowitz of Dzikov (1819-1877) answers these questions by postulating that Yishak envisioned Yaakob and Esav, and their descendants, following the arrangement that would later be followed by the tribes of Yissachar and Zevulun. In Yaakob’s blessings to his sons, he foresaw that the tribe of Yissachar would diligently devote itself to Torah study, and would be supported by Zebulun, who would work as merchants and earn money. Yishak figured that this system would be followed not within Am Yisrael, but by Yaakob and Esav. Meaning, all of Yaakob’s descendants would immerse themselves in Torah, and would be supported by Esav. Yishak made this assumption because already in his time, he was supported by Esav. Esav would hunt animals and feed Yishak. Naturally, then, Yishak assumed that this would continue in the future, with Esav working and supporting Yaakob, who would immerse himself in full-time Torah learning.

This was Yishak’s intent in granting Esav a special blessing of material prosperity. He wanted to bless Esav that he would enjoy financial success so he could support both himself and his brother. Yishak’s saw Esav and his descendants as the supporters of Yaakob and his descendants, and he therefore blessed Esav with wealth.

Ribka, however, knew that this would not work. She understood Esav’s true nature, that he had no intention of supporting his brother. There was no question in her mind – and she was correct – that if Esav would be blessed with wealth, he would keep it to himself, and not support Yaakob. Therefore, Ribka needed to do everything possible to ensure that Yaakob would receive this blessing. If the blessing of material prosperity would go to Esav, Yaakob and his offspring would be left impoverished, without a source of sustenance, because Esav and his descendants would not support them. Ribka thus knew that Yaakob needed to receive both blessings – spiritual greatness and material success – which would be divided among his descendants, some of whom would earn money and lend support to the others who immersed themselves in Torah. Esav, she realized, could not be relied upon to support Yaakob.

It turns out, then, that Ribka acted as she did for the vital purpose of saving Torah learning. If Esav had received the blessing of wealth, and Yaakob hadn’t, then Yaakob’s descendants would be left with only spirituality, without the material means they needed to support themselves.

The message of this explanation of the story is that any wealth Am Yisrael enjoys has been given to us for the purpose of supporting Torah study. We have always had a scholarly class immersing itself in learning and being supported by the rest of the nation, and this arrangement must always be continued. Those who have been blessed with material wealth owe their success to Yishak’s blessing – which was granted to Yaakob solely for the purpose of supporting Torah and ensuring that it will be preserved among our nation for all eternity.

 

 

 

Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad

 

The Mitzva to Take Part in Shabbat Preparations - Peninei Halacha

The Torah states: “On the sixth day, they shall prepare what they have brought in” (Shemot 16:5). It is inferred from here that there is a mitzvah to prepare for Shabbat on Friday. Even a rich and dignified person with servants who take care of all his needs during the week, and who does not lift a finger around the house, must try to do something himself to honor Shabbat. He should not say: “Should I toil at these simple labors beneath my dignity?” Rather he must be aware that it is an honor for him to honor the holy Shabbat by preparing for it. Even if one diligently studies the Torah and has others who prepare Shabbat for him, he is commanded to participate personally in some type of Shabbat preparation (SA 250:1; Rema 251:2).

 

The Talmud tells of great rabbis and respected leaders throughout the generations who personally participated in Shabbat preparations. Rava would salt fish before Shabbat, and R. Ĥisda would chop vegetables. Rabba and R. Yosef would chop wood to fire the oven. R. Abahu and R. Zeira would light the cooking fire. R. Huna and R. Papa would prepare candles for Shabbat, and R. Naĥman would clean the house and replace the weekday furniture with the Shabbat furniture (Shabbat 119a).

 

This is not the place to expand upon the status of each one of the great leaders that we just mentioned, but we must note that we are speaking of extremely well-respected people, the most honored of their generation. They were Torah scholars and community leaders. For example, Rabba and R. Yosef headed the prestigious Babylonian yeshivot of Sura and Pumbedita, and at that time the heads of these yeshivot, together with the Exilarch, constituted the leadership of the entire Jewish world. In the areas under their jurisdiction, no one was appointed to any public office without their agreement, and no ordinance was passed or decision reached regarding tax collection without their approval. Yet these leaders, despite their dignified positions and greatness, would chop wood in honor of Shabbat. R. Huna, R. Ĥisda, R. Papa, and Rava all served as rashei yeshiva in Babylonia, and R. Abahu was the leader of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael.

 

The Sages state that there are three things one must say in his home as it gets dark on Friday: (1) “Has the produce been tithed?” If it has not, he must do so; (2) “Has an eruv ĥatzerot been set up?” If it has not, he must do so. (3) “Remember to light the candle on time” (Shabbat 34a). Today, when we generally buy our produce already tithed, and there are community representatives in charge of the eruv, we no longer need to ask about the first two. But each person still needs to make sure that his home is ready for Shabbat: that the timers controlling lights and the heat/air conditioning are set, that the refrigerator light is off, and that the food is on the plata (a warming tray with no temperature controls), and, with the new type of refrigerator, that it has been set to “Shabbat” mode.

 

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

 

M A Weekly - Bulletin Nov 23rd 2024 - CHAYEI SARA - 22 Cheshvan 5785

11/21/2024 11:18:18 PM

Nov21

M.A. WEEKLY

                      

 

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

 

 

SCHEDULE

SHABBAT TIMES

Friday Night, @Maghen Abraham

 

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

 

Shabbat Candle lighting  3:59 pm

 

Saturday - @Maghen Abraham  

 

Shahrit 9am

 

Perasha -  CHAYEI SARA

Haftara - Melachim I (I Kings) Chapter 1:1-31

 

Kiddush Sponsored by

Maghen Abraham

 

Mincha 3:50PM followed by Arvit & Havdalah

 

Havdalah: 5:05pm

 

UPCOMING THIS WEEK

CELEBRATIONS

MABROOK!!!

On the Wedding of

Amanda Benisti to Joseph Soued

Proud Parents

Maurice and Nicole Benisti

Yasha and Sandra Soued

 

MABROOK!!!

Noni Zeitouni 

on her Birthday

 

 

HAZKAROT

HAZKARAH

 

Lucie Halabi z'L
Aunt of Davod Hasson

 

HAZKARAH

Gamalo (Yaffa bat Esther) Telio Hasbani z'L
Mother of Silia Araz

i

HAZKARAH

 Selim Sayegh z'L
Brother of  Mno Sayegh

i

HAZKARAH

Haron Hasson z'L
Father of David Hasson

 

NOTICES

___________________________________________________
THE COMMUNITY OFFERS IT'S CONDOLENCES TO THE ARAZI FAMILY ON THE PASSING OF 
MARCO ARAZI 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 Parameters of the Mitzvah -Peninei Halacha

3) Holy Jokes!

4) For KIDS

 

 

 This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour

Parashat Hayeh-Sara- Heavenly Matches

Parashat Hayeh-Sara tells the story of Eliezer, Abraham Abinu’s trusted servant whom Abraham sent to find a wife for Yishak. Abraham made Eliezer take an oath that he would not bring for Yishak a woman from the local population, and would instead find a wife from Abraham’s homeland. In imposing this oath upon Eliezer, Abraham said, "I will make you swear by Hashem, G-d of the heavens and G-d of the earth" (24:3).

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (Spain, 1089-1167) explains why Abraham emphasized in this context that Hashem is "G-d of the heavens and G-d of the earth." He writes: "Because [the designation] of the daughter of so-and-so for so-and-so on earth is from the heavens." The matches that are made here on earth are decided up in the heavens, and so as Abraham sends his servant to find a spouse for his son, Yishak, he speaks of Hashem as "G-d of the heavens and G-d of the earth," emphasizing that the matches on earth originate in the heavens. Ibn Ezra concludes, "Ve’hu Sod" – "This is a secret," indicating that this interpretation touches upon profound Kabbalistic teaching.

Later commentators uncovered for us the deep concepts underlying Ibn Ezra’s remark. The Gemara in the beginning of Masechet Sota teaches that even before a fetus is formed, a heavenly voice declares whom that person is going to marry. However, the Gemara adds, this refers only to "Zivug Rishon" – "the first marriage." When it comes to "Zivug Sheni" – a person’s second marriage, this is not predetermined, and who a person marries the second time depends on his or her deeds. On the surface, the Gemara here speaks of people who marry more than once, due to the death of their spouse or divorce. The Kabbalists, however, explain this Gemara differently. They explain that a husband and wife’s souls were created together, bound into a single entity. Just as the Sages teach that Adam and Hava were created as a single body, and were then separated, similarly, a husband and wife’s souls began as a single soul in the heavens. They were then separated and sent down to the earth as two different beings, and so when a man and woman marry, their souls reunite and again become bound into the single soul that they had initially comprised. The Gemara thus teaches that the "Zivug Rishon" – the initial bond between a husband and wife, which existed in the heavens before they were born, is predetermined by G-d, and has nothing to do with their actions and their merits. But the "Zivug Sheni" – the reuniting of the two souls in this world through marriage, is not predetermined, and needs to be earned. Indeed, as we know, in order to find a spouse, one must develop his character, be responsible and prepare himself to build a close relationship and care for a family. The original bond between the two souls happens without any effort, but the "Zivug Sheni" here on earth requires a great deal of hard work.

On this basis, the Kabbalists explained the Gemara’s famous comment that making a match is "as difficult as the splitting of the Yam Suf." At first glance, the splitting of the sea – which involved separating water, which is naturally together – seems hardly an appropriate analogy for matchmaking, which involves the precise opposite process, bringing two different, distinct individuals together. In light of what we have seen, however, to the contrary – the splitting of the sea is the perfect analogy for matchmaking. The waters of the sea split to allow Beneh Yisrael to safely cross, and then came back together. The same is true of a husband and wife – the two souls begin bound together in the heavens, but are at one point separated, and reunited again through marriage.

This, then, is the deeper meaning of the Ibn Ezra’s remark: "Because [the designation] of the daughter of so-and-so for so-and-so on earth is from the heavens." The Ibn Ezra is not simply saying that G-d determines in the heavens whom a person marries here on earth. Rather, he is subtly revealing to us the "secret" of matches – that they are literally "made in heaven," as the husband and wife were once a single soul in the heavens. The process of finding a mate involves finding the "missing" portion of one’s soul so they can be reunited, thereby allowing each individual to become the complete being that he or she was created to become.

 

 

 

Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad

 

The Parameters of the Mitzvah -Peninei Halacha

 

There are two mitzvot about the Shabbat meal. One is oneg, the mitzvah to delight in Shabbat, as it is written: “Call Shabbat ‘delight’ (oneg)” (Yeshayahu 58:13). Oneg is fulfilled primarily through the meals, but snacks and a Shabbat nap are parts of it as well. The second mitzvah is to partake of three meals. The Sages saw this hinted at in various verses (Shabbat 117b).

 

The first meal is held on Friday night, the second on Shabbat morning before midday, and the third on Shabbat afternoon from half a seasonal hour after midday until shki’a. If one eats the third meal before this, he has not fulfilled his obligation (SA 291:2). One who did not eat dinner on Friday night should eat three meals on Shabbat day. If one cannot eat the second meal before midday, he should eat two meals afterward, for some maintain that the timing of the meals is not critical, and be-di’avad one may rely upon them (Behag; Rema 291:1).

 

Bread is the staple of the meal because it is the most important food. It is a mitzvah to prepare other good foods that people delight in. In the time of the Sages, people enjoyed a dish made of spinach, large fish, and heads of garlic, so it was a mitzva to prepare these for Shabbat (Shabbat 118b; MB 242:1). Since most people enjoy meat, wine, and delicacies (meaning tasty fruits), poskim write that we should have plenty of them (SA 250:2). One who does not enjoy meat and wine should prepare foods he does enjoy for Shabbat.

 

The Aĥaronim writes, based on Kabbala, that there is a mitzvah to eat fish at each of the three meals. Several reasons are given for this: fish symbolize blessing, they hint at deep matters since they are creatures of the deep, and ayin ha-ra (the evil eye) has no power over them. However, one who does not enjoy fish is not required to eat it (MA 242:1).

Even though eating sparingly is generally a positive character trait, on Shabbat it is a mitzvah to eat heartily. It is not considered gluttonous since it is for a mitzvah (Shabbat 117b; SA 274:2; MB 6). However, one should not overeat, because overeating leads to exhaustion and depression. As for those who stuff themselves, fill up, become tired, fall asleep, and do not study Torah, they do not get any credit for the mitzvah. They are not making Shabbat enjoyable, they are only pleasing their gullets (Shlah, Masekhet Shabbat, Ner Mitzva §37; see above 5:3).

 

One may not fast on Shabbat, even for just an hour. Even one who does not intend to fast but has not eaten anything by midday on Shabbat morning has transgressed this prohibition (SA and Rema 288:1). He also is not eating the second meal at its ideal time.

One who is ill and has no appetite need not eat very much, since the eating is meant to be pleasurable. One who does not enjoy eating need not eat much but should try to eat a little more than a kabetza (egg’s bulk) of bread. If even this is difficult for him, he should eat at least kabetza. If even this amount pains him, he should not eat at all (SA 288:2; 291:1).

 

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, December 3 2024 2 Kislev 5785