SOMETHING OF VALUE

Parashat Ki Tisa
Annual: Exodus 30:11-34:35
Haftarah: 1 Kings 18:1-39

18 Adar 1 5776 / 26-27 February 2016

Calendar of events for the next two weeks follows. For a full calendar and other info about our community, check out:  www.bethmeier.org

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.

Congregation Beth Meier has developed a GoFundMe page: Please visit the page and consider a donation. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

https://www.gofundme.com/saveourschul

-------------------------------------------------------------

SOMETHING OF VALUE

“And the people broke off the golden earrings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.” Exodus 32:3

“And the Lord repented of the evil that He had thought to do to His people.” 32:14

Rabbi Eizel of Slonim on verse 3: “Truly this was a great sin committed by Israel in making the golden calf. For all that, we must admit that that generation was better than our own. The members of that generation were willing to cast away their silver and gold in order to make gods for themselves; but today, in our great iniquity, we think it permissible to cast away God solely for wealth and happiness.”

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk on verse 14: “Why did He forgive the sin of the golden calf even though the people did not repent, while He did not forgive the sin of the spies even though the people did repent? The sin of the calf had at least a spark of holiness, a thirst for the Divine. But the sin of the spies was all about a better material life.”

These are fascinating comments. Our teachers boldly imply that even mistaken worship of false gods is better than denying divinity altogether. It is not that money and happiness are innately sinful. Certainly not true happiness! Greed and narcissism are the true enemies of holiness. The evil arises from giving up on any sense of Godliness in order to pursue only worldliness.

Shabbat Shalom U’Mevorakh - A Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat!

Be Happy – It’s Adar! Shabbat Shalom!

Grand Rabbi Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom, Sh’lita

Der Heiliger Shlabodkieville Rebbe
Av Beis Din - Chelm

Mishenichnas Adar, Marbim B’simcha - From the beginning of Adar, we increase joy!

Congregation Beth Meier - Studio City , CA

Website: http://bethmeier.org

Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com

"From the place where we are absolutely right, flowers will never grow in the spring."

"מן המקום שבו אנו צודקים לא יצמחו לעולם פרחים באביב"

Yehuda Amichai

-------------------------------------------------------------

Candlelighting: 5:28 pm

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

Saturday: Shabbat morning service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.

Sunday:   Religious School – 9:30 am. Adult Hebrew Class - 10:00. 

Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon

Friday, 4 March: SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA!  Early Learners’ Shabbat Evening Service – 6:00 pm. Shabbat Dinner (reservations required!) follows.

Saturday, 5 March: Shabbat morning service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.

Sunday, 6 March:  Religious School – 9:30 am. Adult Hebrew Class - 10:00. 

SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA is coming – Friday, March 4 – Learners’ Service and Shabbat Dinner – mark your calendar. Cost - $5.00/person – RSVP FOR DINNER MANDATORY! You can now view the flyer at:

http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2016/01/shabbat-across-america-at-beth-meier.html

For Shabbat Across America, off-street parking will be available at First Christian Church cattycorner from the synagogue.

Next time you come to Beth Meier, please bring some non-perishable canned and packaged foods and personal items (no glass) for SOVA.

This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Peter Chernack, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint (Eliezer Moshe ben Esther), Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Stephanie Kane, Philip Kovac, Suzanne Rosenthal (Sima Devorah bat Chanah), and Deborah Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga).

           

Please let me know if there is anyone you would like to add to this list or if there is anyone who may be removed from this list.

My weekly divrei torah are available through free subscription to the Cyber Torah e-mail list. No salesman will call!

Cyber Torah list management:

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

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

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.