30 Av 5776
/ 2-3 September 2016
Parashat
Re'eh
Torah: Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (Rosh Chodesh Elul)
Torah: Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (Rosh Chodesh Elul)
Rosh
HaShanah is one month from Sunday! Please submit your Membership/High Holy Day
forms ASAP! And check your mail for our High Holy Day bulletin.
Congregation
Beth Meier is looking for volunteers for the High Holy Days: to help set
up/tear down for services, chant Torah and Haftarah, daven, lead English
readings, and, have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Contact Rabbi Flom at
the synagogue office or by e-mail for details and to sign up!
Dedications
and Calendar of Events follow.
Check out
our web site at: http://www.bethmeier.org/
Congregation
Beth Meier has developed a GoFundMe page: Please visit the page and
consider a donation. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Please feel
free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source
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THE ETERNAL
OPTIMIST
“See, I set
before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing: when you
hearken to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you
today. And the curse: if you do not hearken to the commandments of
the Lord your God, and you stray from the path which I command you today, to
follow after other gods that you do not know.” Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Rabbeinu
Bachya: "If" (im) is an expression of doubt which was
therefore inappropriate in connection with obedience to the Torah, but quite
appropriate in the context of punishment. The text therefore uses
"when" (asher) - an expression of certainty with reference to
obedience.
What is the
certainty that Rabbeinu Bachya is referring to? One might think that it is a
certainty that one will be blessed if one obeys the commandments. But that
could mean that there might be some doubt that one would be cursed if one
disobeyed! This might create some temptation to sin - "Maybe I'll get
away with it!"
I like to
believe that the certainty has to do with Moses’ confidence that we will do the
right thing. "If you do not hearken" suggests only the
possibility that we might disobey - therefore, only the possibility that we
might be cursed. However, "when you hearken" shows a firm belief
that we will obey the commandments - hence, confidence that we will receive
God's blessings. Moses truly believes in his flock, and he tells us that God
the Eternal One is truly the Eternal Optimist! If Moses and God have that kind
of faith in us, shouldn't we return the favor? It's not a question of
"if" - only a question of "when"!
Have a
wonderful Shabbat and a pleasant Labor Day!
Rabbi
Richard A. Flom
Studio City
http://www.bethmeier.org
Blogging at: rav-rich.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook
Twitter: @DrahcirMolf
"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
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Candle
lighting: 6:59 pm
Friday – Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday – Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch
follows services.
Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – noon - a 90 minute discussion on a Jewish
topic of interest. Everyone is welcome to participate. Lunch is
provided - donation requested.
Friday, 9/9 – Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday, 9/10 – Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch
follows services.
Sunday, 9/11 – first day of Religious
School
This
d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben
Bella, HaRav Yisrael Shimon ben Liebah Breina, Yaakov Rani Ben Margalit, Sarah
bat Devorah, Jackie Aaronson, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky,
Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan
ben Gittel), Leonard Foint (Eliezer Moshe ben Esther), Jerry Forman, Myra
Goodman, Fouad Kay (Yehoshua ben Salima), Stephanie Kane, Philip Kovac, Toni
Linder, Deborah Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya
Feiga bat Kreina), and Naomi Zimmermann (Naomi bat Yorma).
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
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To subscribe to
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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
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