Parashat Vayishlach
14 Kislev 5778 / 1-2 December 2017
Torah - Genesis 32:4 – 36:43
Haftarah – Ovadiah 1:1-21
Haftarah – Ovadiah 1:1-21
Calendar and dedications follow
below. For a full calendar of events and other info about Temple
Please feel free to pass this on to
a friend, and please cite the source.
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DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!
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DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!
'And (the angel) said, "Your
name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel
Jewish tradition, going back to the opening chapters of Genesis, holds that names contain the essential being of the person, place or thing named. We Jews have been called the "Children of Israel" or the "People Israel" for longer than we have been called "Jews". The origin of the name is given in our verse. Does "Israel
Jewish tradition, going back to the opening chapters of Genesis, holds that names contain the essential being of the person, place or thing named. We Jews have been called the "Children of Israel" or the "People Israel" for longer than we have been called "Jews". The origin of the name is given in our verse. Does "
Consider first the struggle with
other people. In the course of the Tanakh itself, our people struggled with
Canaanites, Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, and others. Since
then, we have striven with Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Cossacks, Nazis, Soviets,
and many others. We have not always prevailed, in the sense of military victory
- quite the contrary - no significant military victories from circa 165 BCE
until 1948 CE. Yet, to the extent any people or nations at all exist today
using those names, they are quite different from what they were. And what about
us? We are still here, so we have prevailed; but we are still "a people
apart", still struggling to be "a light unto the nations", still
fighting sometimes for the very right to be Jews.
Now consider contention with God.
From Abraham until modern times, Jews have wrestled with God. Our people at
times have refused to follow God's word, sometimes at a heavy price. More
often, our people have listened to God, yet still paid a price. We ask,
"God, what do you want from us?" "God, what do these words mean,
why do you command us to do such and such?" "God, where were You when
the Temple was destroyed, when our people were
being slaughtered at Auschwitz , and all the
other times?" "Shall not the Judge of the entire world act
justly?" Sometimes, there is more than one "right" answer.
Sometimes, there is no satisfactory answer. Sometimes, there is no answer, no
response at all.
If we surrender to the forces around us, we give up the right to call ourselvesIsrael
If we surrender to the forces around us, we give up the right to call ourselves
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook
Twitter: @DrahcirMolf
"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"
"Silence in the face of
wrongdoing is consent.”
BT Yevamot 88a
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Candlelighting: 4:25 pm
Friday – A Cappella Shabbat Evening Service at
7:30 pm with Rabbi Flom and Cantor Steve, followed by light fish/dairy
Shabbat dinner, sponsored by Price and Bruce Simon.
Saturday – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45
am. Sh’MA Service (Shabbat Morning Adventure Service), with Rabbi Flom and
Cantor Steve – 9:30 am. It’s a GAS! (Guitar Accompanied Service), with
torah discussion and haftarah in English. Kiddush luncheon follows.
Sunday – Religious School
Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, December 8 – Shabbat Evening Service at
7:30 pm, followed by Oneg Shabbat.
Saturday, December 9 – Breakfast and Torah
study - 8:45 am. Shabbat Morning Service – 9:30 am. Kiddush
luncheon follows.
Sunday, December 10 - Religious School – 9:30 am.
Adult Hebrew – 10:00 am. Game Day at TBH (sorry, kids - this is for
adults) - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Includes delicious lunch. Price: $15 - checks
payable to TBH Sisterhood. Questions/RSVP to Gina Seeman - (818) 349-5301.
Deadline December 6.
This d’var torah is offered in
memory of Khorshid Assil, mother of TBH member Debbie
Assil. The funeral will take place at Eden Memorial Park 11500 Sepulveda Blvd , Mission Hills , CA 91345 6509 Graves Avenue ,
Lake Balboa 91406
This d’var torah is offered in memory of Sandi Kronzek, who passed
away far too young last week. Y’hi zikhrah liv’rakhah – May her memory be a
blessing.
This d’var torah is offered in memory of Stuart Barth, who passed
away last week. Y’hi zikhro liv’rakhah – May his memory be a blessing.
This d’var torah is offered in memory of my uncle, Daniel Flom, whose
yahrzeit falls on Shabbat. Y’hi zikhro liv’rakhah – May his memory be a
blessing.
This d’var torah is offered in honor of Price and Bruce Simon,
celebrating their first anniversary. Mazal tov!
This d'var torah is offered for a
refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Ze’ev ben Adeline,
HaRav Chana Rivka bat Doronit, Yaakov Rani Ben Margalit, Eilite
bat Miryam, HaRav Tzvi Hersh ben Frimet, Sarah bat Devorah, Hiroe
Andriola, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat
Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint (Eliezer
Moshe ben Esther), Jerry Forman, Bernard Garvin, Myra Goodman, Leah Granat,
Simon Hartmann, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata
Malkah bat Sarah Emanu), Lyndia Lowy (Leah bat Sarah), David Marks, Debra
Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat
Kreina), Jonathan Woolf, and Meagan Yudell.
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.
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