BEING MINDFUL OF BEING THERE

27 Shevat 5779 / 1-2 February 2019

Parashat Mishpatim

Torah: Exodus 21:1 - 24:18
Haftarah:  Jeremiah 34:8-22, 23:25-26

Dedications and this week’s calendar are below. For more information about our community, visit: http://bnaihayim.com

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

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BEING MINDFUL OF BEING THERE

'And the Lord said to Moses: "Come up to Me to the mountain; and be there; and I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the commandments that I have written, that you may teach them."' Exodus 24:12

Menachem Mendel of Kotzk (aka The Kotzk Rebbe; Poland, 1787-1859) says, "There is a difficulty here. If Moses went up the mountain, of course he would be there! Perhaps this is to show that one may struggle to climb the peak, being able to arrive there, yet not really be there. He may be standing at the summit, but his head is in another place. The main thing is not the ascent, but to be there, and only there, and not to be going up and down at the same time."

This is more than a rejection of the notion that the journey is more important than the ultimate goal. For the Kotzker, "being there" is not just physical, to be in a specific location. Being there is temporal and spiritual. The mind, heart and soul, having struggled to reach God, must remain focused on the moment - what came before, and what will come after, are not then relevant. If this seems very much like the Buddhist concept of mindfulness – it is; and you can be pretty sure the Kotzker Rebbe never had any exposure to Buddhism. Mindfulness is equally a Jewish concept, and always has been so.

When engaged in prayer, when lighting the Shabbat candles, when reciting Kiddush, when blessing your children, when performing any mitzvah - be there. When you are fully present in the present, you experience the wonder of the moment. The awesomeness of the summit can only be experienced - and only for so long as one does not think about how one got there or how one will get down or what it all means. Our ancestors knew this. That is why they said, "All that the Lord has said, we will do and we will hear." Exodus 24:7. In short - do it, experience it - then try to understand.

Have an awesome Shabbat!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier

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

Visit me on Facebook

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 5:06 pm

Friday – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

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

Sunday – Religious School – 9:30 am. TBH/CBM Sisterhood Meeting – 11:00 am.

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, February 8 – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows. B’nai Mitzvah of Adi and Eitan Buchnik – Mazal tov! 

Saturday, February 9 – NO Breakfast and Torah study – Resume February 16. Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. B’nai Mitzvah of Adi and Eitan Buchnik – Mazal tov! Kiddush luncheon sponsored by Jodi West and Gabriel Buchnik follows.

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

TBH Religious School and TBH Preschool have open enrollment. Enroll your children now! Contact the TBH office for information.

And be sure to tell your neighbors, friends, and relatives about our warm and welcoming community and our programs!

We are looking for volunteers for services: chant Torah or Haftarah, daven, lead English readings, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Elisheva bat Malkah, Ze’ev ben Adeline, Liora bat Sarah, Eilite bat Miriam, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Beverly Erenbaum (Blimah bat Sarah), Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Marilyn Lee, Barbara Levy, David Marks, Frank Sorkin, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Irwin Silon, William Sragow, and Jonathan Woolf.

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.

CLOTHES DON’T MAKE THE PERSON

Parashat Yitro - 20 Sh'vat 5779 / 25-26 January 2019
Torah: Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5-6 (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sephardim)

Dedications and this week’s calendar are below. For more information about our community, visit: http://bnaihayim.com

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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CLOTHES DON’T MAKE THE PERSON

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow; and they shall wash their clothes.'" Exodus 19:10

The 16th century Rabbi Moshe Alshikh, of Safed, says that the Torah teaches that it is not enough for people to worry only about the externals, such as washing themselves and their clothes, while neglecting themselves internally - they must be  clean and pure in both aspects. He adds, the internal aspect comes first - that is why they were ordered to sanctify themselves, and then to wash their clothes.

When one appears before a king to receive justice and mercy, one scrubs oneself and one's clothing, in order to make a good impression and not offend the king. But when one appears before the King of Kings, to receive the Holy Torah, as the Israelites (and all of us) do in this week's parashah, God wants the heart and soul to be pure before one worries about mere physical cleanliness. It should be so also when we pray and when we study Torah. If you think about it, shouldn't all of our dealings with other human beings as well be carried out in the same way? Every human being is an image of God - so we are always standing before God. If we always strive to act with purity of heart and soul, the externalities will take care of themselves.

Have an awesome Shabbat of standing before God – at Sinai – and everywhere else!

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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CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 4:59 pm

Friday – Early Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Shabbat Dinner and Tu BiSh’vat Seder – 7:45 pm. RSVP to synagogue office. No payments 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. 

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, February 1 – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday, February 2 – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am.  Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

Saturday, February 9 – NO Breakfast and Torah study – Resume February 16. B’nai Mitzvah of Adi and Eitan Buchnik – Mazal tov! Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

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

TBH Religious School and TBH Preschool have open enrollment. Enroll your children now! Contact the TBH office for information.

And be sure to tell your neighbors, friends, and relatives about our warm and welcoming community and our programs!

We are looking for volunteers for services: chant Torah or Haftarah, daven, lead English readings, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

This d’var torah is offered in memory of my aunt, Shirley Schack, whose yahrzeit falls on 25 Sh’vat / January 31. Y’hi zekherah liv’rakhah – Her memory is a blessing.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Elisheva bat Malkah, Ze’ev ben Adeline, Liora bat Sarah, Eilite bat Miriam, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Marilyn Lee, Barbara Levy, David Marks, Frank Sorkin, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Irwin Silon, William Sragow, and Jonathan Woolf.

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.

FREE AT LAST – THE LONG SHORTER WAY

Parashat Beshallach (Shabbat Shirah)

13 Shevat 5779 / 18-19 January 2019

Torah: Exodus 13:17 – 17:16

Haftarah: Ashkenazim – Judges 4:4 – 5:31; Sephardim – Judges 5:1-31

Dedications and this week’s calendar are below. For more information about our community, visit: http://bnaihayim.com

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

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FREE AT LAST – THE LONG SHORTER WAY

“Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer (the short-longer way); for God said, ‘The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and they will return to Egypt.’” Exodus 13:17

The greatest modern leader of African-Americans, and America generally, was the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement did not simply guide African-Americans to freedom – they led the entire country to a new paradigm in which all Americans were truly free and equal, through what can only be called a non-violent revolution.

The Civil Rights Movement was steeped in the language of Tanakh – the Hebrew Bible that Christians call the Old Testament. From the beginning, African-Americans identified with the Israelite slaves in Egypt. Through sermons, songs and more, they amplified that connection.

Not only was the movement led by Dr. King committed to the principles of non-violence taught by Mahatma Gandhi – he was also an astute observer of American law, politics and traditions. He and his followers used the democratic American system itself to bring peaceful change to that system. The movement could have advocated violence – after all, the United States itself achieved freedom through a violent overthrow of British rule. Alternatively, African-Americans could have left the US – going to Canada, for example, or at least moving from the South to the North where, despite much discrimination, they would have been able to vote and participate in the democratic process. Instead, they chose to stay and achieve their goals through the system.

In today’s highly polarized society, we hear of those who advocate violence because they do not like the result of an election. Others who are dissatisfied say they will drop out – no longer participate in the system. They should learn from Dr. King, a modern-day Moses, who understood the genius of the American way. Freedoms of speech and press, the rights to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances, regulation of commerce, elections – all were utilized to set people free.

The “short-longer way” seems faster, but ultimately leaves one far from the goal.  The “long-shorter way” takes more time and energy, but gets one to the true prize more quickly (see Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah’s story at B Talmud Eruvin 53b).

“Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we’re free at last” – the long-shorter way.

Have a wonderful Shabbat of song and freedom! And a Happy Tu BiSh’vat!

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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CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 4:51 pm

Friday – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

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

Sunday – Religious School – 9:30 am. TBH/CBM Sisterhood Movie (“The Zookeeper’s Wife”) – 2:00 pm. RSVP to synagogue office.

Monday: Tu BiSh’vat – Happy New Year, Trees! Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Please observe both days in a meaningful way – perhaps plant a tree in memory of Dr. King.

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, January 25 – Early Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Shabbat Dinner and Tu BiSh’vat Seder – 7:45 pm. RSVP to synagogue office.

Saturday, January 26 – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am.  Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

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

TBH Religious School and TBH Preschool have open enrollment. Enroll your children now! Contact the TBH office for information.

And be sure to tell your neighbors, friends, and relatives about our warm and welcoming community and our programs!

We are looking for volunteers for services: chant Torah or Haftarah, daven, lead English readings, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Elisheva bat Malkah, Ze’ev ben Adeline, Liora bat Sarah, Eilite bat Miriam, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Barbara Levy, David Marks, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Irwin Silon, William Sragow, and Jonathan Woolf.

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.

UNLEAVENED MITZVOT

6 Sh’vat 5779 / 11-12 January 2019

Parashat Bo

Torah: Exodus 10:1 – 13:16

Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28

Dedications and this week’s calendar are below. For more information about our community, visit: http://bnaihayim.com  

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

"And you shall observe the matzot; for on this very day I brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt; and you shall observe this day for your generations - it is an ordinance forever." Ex. 12:17

"Rabbi Josiah says: Do not read thus (as matzot), rather as, 'And you shall observe the mitzvot.' Just as one should not leaven (chametz) matzah, one may not leaven a mitzvah. Rather, if a mitzvah comes to your hand, perform it immediately." Mechilta D’Rebbi Ishmael, Tractate Pischa, Ch. 9

The Hebrew words "matzot" and "mitzvot" may appear identical when written without vowel marks, as in a Torah scroll. Rabbi Josiah, noting this, goes on to say that just as matzah is observed to assure that it does not rise (from leavening), so must mitzvot be carried out lest they too start to rise. What does it matter if a mitzvah becomes leavened (chametzdik)? For that matter, how can a mitzvah become chametzdik?

Matzah must be baked within 18 minutes of the formation of the dough, or else it may become leavened by airborne yeast. This contamination renders the dough unfit to be baked into matzah for Passover. A mitzvah also can become contaminated by delay - it becomes chametz.

Think of a mitzvah, or any other worthy act, you intended to perform and put off, for whatever reason. The longer you waited, the more you felt guilty about it, the more burdensome it became, until it was no longer desirable to perform. We are all familiar with this type of procrastination. It turns something sweet into something sour. And in fact, 'chametz' is also the word for 'vinegar'.

If you are considering performing any mitzvah, whether it is reciting prayers or kashering your kitchen or giving tzedakah or calling your mother, don't delay. The sooner you do a mitzvah, the sweeter it will be. 

Have a wonderful Shabbat full of unleavened mitzvot!

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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CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 4:46 pm

Friday – Tot Shabbat! at 6:30 pm. Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday – NO Breakfast and Torah study – resume 1/19.  Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, January 18 – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday, January 19 – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am.  Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

Sunday, January 20 – TBH/CBM Sisterhood Movie (“The Zookeeper’s Wife”) – 2:00 pm. RSVP to synagogue office.

Friday, January 25 – Early Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Shabbat Dinner and Tu Bish’vat Seder – 7:45 pm. RSVP to synagogue office.

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

TBH Religious School and TBH Preschool have open enrollment. Enroll your children now! Contact the TBH office for information.

And be sure to tell your neighbors, friends, and relatives about our warm and welcoming community and our programs!

We are looking for volunteers for services: chant Torah or Haftarah, daven, lead English readings, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Elisheva bat Malkah, Ze’ev ben Adeline, Liora bat Sarah, Eilite bat Miriam, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Emanu), Barbara Levy, David Marks, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Irwin Silon, William Sragow, and Jonathan Woolf.

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.

BREATHLESS IN EGYPT

Parashat Va’era

Torah: Exodus 6:2 – 9:35

Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 – 29:21

28 Tevet 5775 / 4-5 January 2019

Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info about our community, check out:  http://www.bnaihayim.com

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

"And Moses spoke thus (as God had instructed him) to the Children of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses because of shortness of breath (mikotzer ruach) and hard work." Exodus 6:9

Rashi: Whoever is troubled, his wind and his breathing are short, and he cannot breathe a long breath.

Sforno: Their spirit prevented them from having faith in God, and they did not focus their hearts to understand.

Moses, following God's directions, has told the Israelites that they will be redeemed by God. But they ignore Moses, apparently because they are worn out - they are out of breath from being worked so hard by the Egyptians.

The 16th-century commentator, Sforno, understands kotzer ruach to mean a shortness of spirit (ruach can mean breath or spirit). Although we might think that their spirits were broken by slavery, so they could not listen to Moses, Sforno says “no”. He suggests that they were spiritually weak, unfocused, and consequently, they were punished by not being taken to the Promised Land - only their children, who had not had their spirits broken, would enter the land of Israel.

This seems rather harsh, somewhat like blaming the victim. But it is just the beginning of a pattern. No matter what God promises or does for the Israelites, before and after the exodus from Egypt, they never really believe - they never have faith. Even after all of the miracles, as we shall see in a few weeks, the Israelites create a golden calf to worship.

We often believe we are entitled to be redeemed simply because we have suffered. But we should also know that, just as one cannot recover from alcoholism (an insidious slavery) without working through the necessary steps, and just as one cannot firm up flabby muscles without physical exercise, one cannot be spiritually healed without doing spiritual work. We have to exercise our spiritual muscles the same way we work out at the gym - study Torah, pray, work at finding God, meditate, practice and live Judaism. You can get a spiritual rush - if you get pumped up!

Feel the burn - have a great Shabbat workout!

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

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

CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 4:40 pm

Friday – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

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

Tuesday – NO Lunch and Learn. Rabbi Flom out of town. Resume 1/15

Friday, January 11 – Tot Shabbat! at 6:30pm. Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday, January 12 – NO Breakfast and Torah study – resume 1/19. Shabbat Morning Service - 9:30 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

Sunday, January 20 – TBH/CBM Sisterhood Movie (“The Zookeeper’s Wife”) – 2:00 pm. RSVP to synagogue office.

Friday, January 25 – Early Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Shabbat Dinner and Tu Bish’vat Seder – 7:45 pm. RSVP to synagogue office.

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

TBH Religious School and TBH Pre-school have open enrollment. Enroll your children now! Contact the TBH office for information.

And be sure to tell your neighbors, friends, and relatives about our warm and welcoming community and our programs!

We are looking for volunteers for services: chant Torah or Haftarah, daven, lead English readings, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Elisheva bat Malkah, Ze’ev ben Adeline, Liora bat Sarah, Eilite bat Miriam, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Emanu), Barbara Levy, David Marks, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Irwin Silon, William Sragow, and Jonathan Woolf.

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.