THE PROOF IS IN THE BREAD

Parashat Beshallach (Shabbat Shirah)

11 Shevat 5778 / 26-27 January 2018

Torah: Exodus 13:17 – 17:16

Haftarah: Judges 4:4 – 5:31 (Ashkenazim); Judges 5:1 – 5:31 (Sephardim)

Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info about Temple B’nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier, check out: www.bnaihayim.com

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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THE PROOF IS IN THE BREAD

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Here I will rain on you bread from heaven; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law or not." Exodus 16:4.

The classic commentators disagree over the nature of the proving that is done here. How exactly are the Israelites being tested? Rashi (R. Shlomo Yitzchaki, d. 1040) says God wishes to know whether they will keep the specific commandments to not keep the manna overnight and to not gather the manna on Shabbat. Ramban (R. Moshe ben Nachman, d. 1270) says that is not correct - God wishes to see whether they can observe all of the mitzvot while having only rations of manna to eat. That is, the manna itself is the test. Sforno (R. Ovadiah ben Yakov Sforno, d. 1550) agrees that the manna is the test, but it is to prove whether people who do not struggle to feed themselves will observe the mitzvot. The commentator Or Ha-Chaim (R. Chaim ben Moshe Ibn Attar, d. 1743) says it is to see whether they will spend their time in Torah study, as well as observing the mitzvot, since they need spend no time in preparing the manna. Rashbam (R. Shmuel ben Meir, d. 1158) and Ibn-Ezra (R. Abraham Ibn Ezra, d. 1167), based on the Mekhilta (Midrashic Commentary on the Book of Exodus), say the test is whether the Israelites will have faith in God when they must rely on a fresh supply of food each and every day.

Monotony; effortlessness; leisure; dependence - All of these seem to make sense as tests. I believe that the real test is whether we can thank God for the food we eat, no matter what it is or how we obtained it (as long as we didn’t steal it!). Our rabbis tell us we are obligated to recite blessings before and after eating any sort of food. We all teach our children to say "please" and "thank you". But how can we ever ask anything of God if we do not follow that truly basic law, the law of saying "Thank you, God"? How many of us pass that test?

Shabbat Shalom - Tu Bishevat Sameach - Happy Jewish Arbor Day!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B’nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier

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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Candle lighting: 4:59 pm

Friday – Early Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm – followed by Shabbat Dinner and Family Tu Bishevat Seder – 7:15 pm. Celebrate the New Year of the Trees! Adults - $10; under 13 - $5. RSVP to TBH/CBM office no later than close of business today, Thursday, January 24. Checks payable to TBH Sisterhood. No payment at the door.

Saturday – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am. Shabbat Morning Service – 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

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

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Wednesday - Tu Bishevat – Plant a Tree!

Friday, February 2 - Shabbat Evening Service - 7:30 pm, followed by Oneg Shabbat.-

Friday, February 9 / Saturday, February 10 - Sharsheret Pink Shabbat to educate our community about breast and ovarian cancer, how it impacts the Jewish community, and how to be proactive about our health. We encourage you to not only join us for this program, but to take a moment to follow this link:

www.sharsheret.org/sharsheretsignin 

Next time you come to TBH/CBM, 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, Ze’ev ben Adeline, HaRav Chana Rivka bat Doronit, 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, Jack Howland, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Emanu), Lyndia Lowy (Leah bat Sarah), David Marks, Steve Pearlman, Gil Robbins, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Jonathan Woolf, Howard Yudell, 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.

Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

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

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

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

NU – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

Parashat Bo

4 Shevat 5778 / 19-20 January 2018

Torah Reading: Exodus 10:1 - 13:16

Haftarah Reading: Jeremiah 46:13-28

Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info about Temple B’nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier, check out: www.bnaihayim.com

  

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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NU – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

‘And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, “What does this service mean to you.”’ Exodus 12:26

Mekhilta d’Rabbi Ishmael: Evil tidings were announced to Israel at that time, that the Torah would ultimately be forgotten.

Hishukei Kesef: According to our Sages (i.e., in Hagaddah Shel Pesach), these words refer to the evil son. The proof is that regarding the simple son, it states, ‘When your son asks you on the morrow, “What is this?”’, and regarding the wise son it states, ‘When your son asks on the morrow saying, “What are the testimonies?”’ Both sons are referred to as “asking”. But the wicked son “says”. When children still ask, there is hope. When they stop asking and merely state their views, it is a sad statement.

It seems clear that much of the Passover Seder is intended to keep the children interested  - the four questions, pointing out the items on the seder plate, the songs, the stories - all are as much for the children as for the adults. When they ask questions, we know that they still have a sense of wonder about Jewish practice. I agree that it is sad when our children stop asking questions. But does that make them evil? I would suggest that it is not so much evil on the part of the child as it is failure on the part of parents and the community to keep their children engaged.

It has been said that one measure of one’s success as a Jew is whether one’s grandchildren are Jews - ‘in order that you shall tell in the ears of your child and your child’s child’. Exodus 10:2 If our children lose their inquisitiveness because we have done nothing to keep them “in the fold”, we will have failed not only our children, but our grandchildren and all of our descendants as well, not to mention our ancestors and the Jewish people. “All Israel is responsible, each for the other.” It is up to each of us to say and do “Jewish”, to involve ourselves in Jewish life enough so that our children will “ask” instead of “say”.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B’nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier

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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Candle lighting: 4:52 pm

Friday – Shabbat Evening Service - 7:30 pm, followed by Oneg Shabbat.

Saturday – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am. Shabbat Morning Service – 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

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

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, January 26 - Early Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm – followed by Family Tu Bishevat Seder – 7:15 pm. Celebrate the New Year of the Trees! Adults - $10; under 13 - $5. RSVP to TBH/CBM office no later than Wednesday, January 23. Checks payable to TBH Sisterhood. No payment at the door.Friday, February 9/Saturday, February 10 - Sharsheret Pink Shabbat to educate our community about breast and ovarian cancer, how it impacts the Jewish community, and how to be proactive about our health. We encourage you to not only join us for this program, but to take a moment to follow this link:

www.sharsheret.org/sharsheretsignin 

Next time you come to TBH/CBM, 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, 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, Steve Pearlman, Gil Robbins, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Jonathan Woolf, Howard Yudell, 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.

Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

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

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

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

MANY ARE CALLED – FEW CHOOSE TO BE CHOSEN

Parashat Sh’mot

19 Tevet 5778 / 5-6 January 2018

Torah - Exodus 1:1 - 6:1
Haftarah - Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13; 29:22-23 (Ashkenazim); Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3 (Sefardim)

Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info about Temple B’nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier, check out: www.bnaihayim.com

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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MANY ARE CALLED – FEW CHOOSE TO BE CHOSEN

"And the Lord's messenger appeared to (Moses) in a fiery flame from within the bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, 'I will turn aside now, and I will see this great sight; why is the bush not burnt?' And the Lord saw that he turned aside to see; and God called to him from within the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses', and he said, 'Here I am.'" Exodus 3:2-4

Why did God choose Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead the Children of Israel from Egypt? A Midrash tells us that it was because of the gentle and loving manner in which Moses tended his flock. But I believe the answer has little to do with shepherding, and much to do with wondering.

Moses saw a burning bush that was not burning, called it a great sight, turned to approach it, and wondered how it could be. God did not speak to Moses until God saw that Moses had actually turned toward the bush. For all we know, that bush may have been burning there for a century, with many people seeing it and turning away, ignoring it, not thinking about the miracle they were witnessing.

Is this not true of all of us? How often do we witness miracles great and small and ignore them? Could it be that God wishes to speak to us, but only if we first turn toward God? Could it be that we begin turning toward God when we acknowledge the miracles of our lives, and wonder how they come to be?

I believe that it is not up to us to take the first step, because God has already done that. We exist in a world full of wonders and miracles, whether they are scientific discoveries or new-born babies or beautiful sunsets. Our very existence is quite miraculous and full of blessings. If we turn to the Source of those miracles and blessings, we may merit having a conversation with God. But it is up to us to choose.

Have a miracle-filled Shabbat!

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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Candle lighting: 4:39 pm

Friday – A Cappella Shabbat Evening Service at 7:30 pm, followed by Oneg Shabbat.

Saturday – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am. Shabbat Morning Service – 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

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

Tuesday – NO Lunch and Learn – resume January 16. Rabbi Flom out of town.

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, Gil Robbins, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Jonathan Woolf, Howard Yudell, 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.

Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):

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

Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

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