ONE HUMBLE MITZVAH

Parashat Ekev
23 Av 5775 / 7-8 August 2015
Torah: Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25
Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14 - 51:3 (Second Haftarah of Consolation)

Dedications and Calendar or Events follow. For more information about our community, see: www.bethmeier.org

Don’t forget the important Israel trip meeting this Sunday, August 9 at 4:00 pm. See below for more info.

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ONE HUMBLE MITZVAH

"And your heart will be haughty, and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery." Deuteronomy 8:14

There is an old joke that goes something like this: A noted scholar and philanthropist was being honored at a gala dinner. Speaker after speaker extolled his virtues - knowledge, wisdom, generosity, kindness, righteousness, etc. He reached up and tugged on the sleeve of one of the speakers, and said, "Don't forget my humility."

Commenting on the first part of our verse, the Ba'al Shem Tov says that there is nowhere in the Torah a commandment to be humble. If there were, there would be those who would attempt to fulfill it by reciting a statement of intent ("Behold, I am prepared to perform the mitzvah of humility ..."), then a blessing (".... and commanded us to be humble."), and then … commence to be humble? It would become a conceit – the belief that, in addition to fulfilling the other commandments, they were observing the commandment to be humble. Unlike any other mitzvah, one would fail to observe it merely by believing that one was attempting to fulfill it or had observed it. "I can say with all humility that I have been humble." It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

Of course we know that a lack of humility can often be damaging to relationships. We tend to forget that neither we nor our accomplishments exist in a vacuum. Even praise for one’s humility can be a bit dangerous. Perhaps the only way to be truly humble is to run from any suggestion that one is humble.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard Flom

Congregation Beth Meier

Studio City, CA

www.bethmeier.org

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Candlelighting: 7:30 pm

Friday: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows

Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.

Sunday: Informational meeting on Israel trip with Rabbi Mark Hyman – 4:00 pm. Please come if you are interested in learning more – no commitment. Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog, http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, 14 August: Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows

Saturday, 15 August: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Reiff. Mazal tov! Kiddush lunch follows.

This d’var torah is offered in honor of Stuart and Fran Zimmerman, who became grandparents again. Mother and baby are well and the bris is on Friday. Mazal tov!

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint, Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Philip Kovac, Annie Rivera, and Gil Robbins.

Don’t forget to send in your membership forms and High Holiday ticket orders. It’s later than you think!

My weekly divrei torah are available via free-mail subscription to the Cyber Torah list.

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To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to:ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.

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To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.