FREEDOM’S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR … RESPONSIBILITY?

Seventh Day of Pesach

21 Nisan 5779 / 25-26 April 2019
Torah: Exodus 13:17 - 15:26
Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25

Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1-51

Additional reading: Shir Hashirim - The Song of Songs (some congregations read this on Pesach Day 8)

Eighth Day of Pesach

22 Nisan 5779 / 26-27 April 2019
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 - 16:17
Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25
Haftarah: Isaiah 10:32 - 12:6

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 this to a friend, and please cite the source.

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 FREEDOM’S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR … RESPONSIBILITY?

"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had sent the people away that God did not lead them through the way of the Philistines, though that was near, for God said, 'Lest the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.'" Exodus 13:17

The Torah reading for the 7th day of Pesach includes the famous Song of the Sea. This song is the Israelite victory song, a paean to God after the destruction of the Egyptian army at the Reed Sea. But the victory and song follow just a few verses after the Israelites complained to Moses about their fears, and their desire to return to Egypt. In its first fragile moments, while the oppressors were still around, freedom was a scary proposition! Who will feed us? How will we survive? Who is this Moses? Where are we going? What are the Egyptians going to do to us? Let's go back to the security of slavery! We miss it! And the kvetching begins again shortly after the Reed Sea events. All the while, Moses must have been thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Rabbi Barukh Abba Rakowsky suggests that the Israelites had dreamed only of being free of their hard labor, but had not dreamed of total liberation from slavery. Absent such a dream, God feared that the first time they faced difficulty they would want to return to Egypt and to slavery. That is why He sent them "the long way". Maybe that is why the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert.

One thing that is abundantly clear throughout the Torah and rabbinic texts is that we each have responsibility - to God, to ourselves, to each other, to the world. Freedom, whether from slavery, or from political oppression, or from chemical addiction, or from anything that prevents us from living up to our potential, often frightens us, because then we are responsible for at least trying to live up to that potential.

That is the difficulty to which Rabbi Rakowsky refers. Slaves have no choice but to do what they are told - so they are not responsible for their actions. Similarly, according to Jewish law, slaves are exempt from many of the mitzvot - but free people are obligated for observing all of them. This means that we are not truly free until we accept responsibility for ourselves and take up the challenges of life.

Mo'adim L'Simchah! Chag Sameach! Shabbat Shalom! 

Seasons of Joy and a Shabbat of Peace!

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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CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES:

Thursday, April 25 - 7:15 pm

Friday, April 26 – 7:16 pm

Pesach ends - 8:17 pm on Saurday, April 27.

CALENDAR

Friday – Pesach Day 7 Service - 9:30 am. Light Kiddush lunch follows. Shabbat/Chag Evening Service – 7:30 pm.

Saturday – NO Torah Study/Breakfast – resume May 4. Shabbat Morning/Pesach Day 8 Service, including Yizkor – 9:30 am. Light Kiddush lunch follows.

Sunday – Religious School – 9:30 am.

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Sunday, May 19 – TBH/CBM Concert and Fundraiser – with music, comedy, silent auction, and food and drink. For details, check our website or contact the synagogue office: http://bnaihayim.com 

Sunday, June 2 - Afternoon at the Colony Theater – “Old Jews Telling Jokes” – a bawdy (not suitable for minors) visit to the Catskills with Jokes, Skits, Song & Dance! Discounted group rate tickets are available until April 25.

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This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Mark Brownstein, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Carol Herskowitz, Diana Hirsch, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Marilyn Lee, David Marks, Sandra Raab, Marguerite Rassiner, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Hadassah Simani (Hadassah bat Sarah Imanu), 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.

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, deliver d’rashot, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

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.

ON CHAMETZ AND THE FIFTH CHILD

15-16 Nisan 5779 / April 19-21 2019

Torah Day 1: Exodus 12:21-51

Maftir Day 1: Numbers 28:16-25

Haftarah Day 1: Joshua 3:5-7; 5:2 - 6:1; 6:27 

Torah Day 2: Leviticus 22:26 - 23:44

Maftir Day 2: Numbers 28:16-25

Haftarah Day 2: 2 Kings 23:1-9; 21-25

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

http://www.bnaihayim.com/

DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE AND SELL CHAMETZ – AUTHORIZE RABBI FLOM TO DO SO ON YOUR BEHALF NO LATER THAN 10:00 AM Friday, April 19.

A downloadable, fillable authorization form which you can email to me is available here:

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2019/04/delegation-of-authority-to-sell-chametz.html

My recently updated annual Pesach Guide – 5779 Edition, is available at my blog:

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2019/03/pesach-resources-5779-edition.html

The Rabbinical Assembly’s Pesach Guide 5779 can be read and downloaded at the following site:

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/final_pesah_guide_5779.pdf

Additional Pesach resources from the Rabbinical Assembly may be found at:

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/jewish-law/holidays/pesah/pesah-prep

Are kitniyot (beans, rice, corn) permitted on Pesach? Yes! Read the latest from the Rabbinical Assembly at:

http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/2011-2020/Levin-Reisner-Kitniyot.pdf

Please feel free to pass this on this to a friend, and please cite the source.
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ON CHAMETZ AND THE FIFTH CHILD

Chaverim Nichbadim/Dear Friends:

I want to share some thoughts with you as we prepare for the Festival of Pesach.

We should consider the nature of the chametz we are commanded to eliminate from our homes and elsewhere for the duration of the holiday. We generally think of it as bread, yeast, leavening, whisky, beer, and the like, which is correct - at one level. But at a deeper level, our rabbis have taught that chametz is symbolic of pride and an inflated ego. Just as leavening causes dough to inflate with the creation of bubbles of hot air, so do our egos often cause us to fill up with pride and the belief in our own self-importance. Chametz also means vinegar, which is made sour by fermentation - so only certain types of vinegar are permitted on Pesach.

The lesson to be learned is that we need to remove not only the physical chametz, but also the spiritual chametz - the chametz in our souls. We can shrink our souls to their most basic components, reducing bitterness and egos so that we can truly appreciate what it means to be the stranger and to address the needs of others. "For you know the soul of the stranger" - the suffering soul of the alienated. That is why the Seder Shel Pesach opens with the words, "Let all who are hungry, come and eat! Let all who are in need, come and celebrate Pesach!" Pesach is not just about us - it's about us attending to the physical and spiritual needs of the Other.

We know from the Haggadah Shel Pesach that there are four types of children, each of whom is to be taught a lesson at the Seder - the wise one, the wicked one, the simple one, and the one who does not know what questions to ask. We often see ourselves and others in these various models. But there is a fifth child, the one we don't ever consider, because that child is invisible or not even present! At least the wicked one is with us, even as s/he causes trouble - that child can be addressed, challenged, even changed. But the one who is so far removed, whether by personal choice or by rejection, that s/he is not present - that child is one that we need to reach out to and bring back to the community - I believe we are commanded to do so. That effort of keruv, of outreach and bringing close, requires the elimination of chametz from our very selves, because the Other is often feared (and fearful), regarded as unapproachable, undesirable, and unclean.

The Seder Shel Pesach should be more than a formulaic ritual and a good dinner. It should teach us and our children that we are obligated to remove the chametz of hubris. Pesach presents a wonderful opportunity to reconsider and reorganize our lives into a new Seder - a new order, that will improve the world and make us worthy of having Eliyahu Hanavi, Elijah the Prophet, knock on our doors.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Pesach Sameach!

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

PASSOVER CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES: Light candles on April 19 for the First Seder at 7:10 pm, for the Second Seder on April 20 at 8:11 pm, on April 25 at 7:15 pm and April 26 at 7:16 pm. Pesach ends at 8:17 pm on April 27.

Friday – NO Evening Service – First Seder

Saturday – NO Torah Study/Breakfast – resume May 4. Shabbat Morning/Pesach Day 1 Service – 9:30 am. Light Kiddush follows. Second Seder after sundown.

Sunday – Pesach Day 2 Service - 9:30 am. Light Kiddush follows.

Tuesday – NO Lunch and Learn until after Pesach – April 30.

See below for additional information on Pesach at TBH/CBM

Sunday, May 19 – TBH/CBM Concert and Fundraiser – with music, comedy, silent auction, and food and drink. Check our website: http://bnaihayim.com for details. Or contact the TBH office.

Sunday, June 2 - Afternoon at the Colony Theater – “Old Jews Telling Jokes” – a bawdy (not suitable for minors) visit to the Catskills with Jokes, Skits, Song & Dance! Discounted group rate tickets are available until April 25.

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PESACH SERVICES AND EVENTS

FAST OF THE FIRST-BORN – STUDY AND SIYYUM – Rabbi Flom’s office Friday, April 19, 8:00 am

PESACH SERVICES

April 20 (Day 1) – 9:30 am

April 21 (Day 2) – 9:30 am

April 26 (Day 7) - 9:30 am and Shabbat Evening 7:30 pm

April 27 (Day 8 - Yizkor) – 9:30 am

TBH/CBM COMMUNAL SEDER

Catering: L.A. Kosher Caterers, led by Rabbi Richard Flom and Reb Jason van Leeuwen

Saturday, April 20 – 6:30 pm

SORRY: THE DEADLINE FOR RESERVATIONS HAS PASSED

INFORMATION FOR PASSOVER

SEARCH FOR CHAMETZ: Complete cleaning of your house of chametz the evening of Thursday, April 18.

SELLING CHAMETZ: Chametz not disposed of must be stored out of sight and sold for the duration of Passover. To sell your chametz, contact Rabbi Flom, as noted above.

FAST/REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN: All first born Jews (except Kohanim and Levi’im) must fast the day before Passover (from dawn April 19 until the Seder) or be redeemed by a donation or Torah study. To redeem yourself or another, send a donation to the TBH/CBM Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund and/or attend the siyyum on Monday, April 19.

MUST THEIR CUP BE EMPTY? MA’OT CHITIM / PASSOVER CHARITY: Make true the words of the Haggadah, “Let all who are hungry enter and eat, all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover” through your donation for those in need.

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This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Mark Brownstein, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Carol Herskowitz, Diana Hirsch, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Marilyn Lee, David Marks, Sandra Raab, Marguerite Rassiner, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Hadassah Simani (Hadassah bat Sarah Imanu), 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.

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, deliver d’rashot, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

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.

MATZAH – THE ORIGINAL SOUL FOOD

Parashat Metzora (Shabbat HaGadol)

8 Nisan 5779 / 12-13 April 2019

Torah: Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33

Haftarah (Shabbat HaGadol): Malakhi 3:4-24

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

http://www.bnaihayim.com/

DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE AND SELL CHAMETZ – AUTHORIZE RABBI FLOM TO DO SO ON YOUR BEHALF NO LATER THAN 10:00 AM Friday, April 19.

A downloadable, fillable authorization form which you can email to me is available here:

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2019/04/delegation-of-authority-to-sell-chametz.html

My recently updated annual Pesach Guide – 5779 Edition, is available at my blog:

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2019/03/pesach-resources-5779-edition.html

The Rabbinical Assembly’s Pesach Guide 5779 can be read and downloaded at the following site: 

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/final_pesah_guide_5779.pdf 

Additional Pesach resources from the Rabbinical Assembly may be found at:

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/jewish-law/holidays/pesah/pesah-prep

Kitniyot (beans, rice, corn) on Pesach? Yes! Read the latest from the Rabbinical Assembly at:

http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/2011-2020/Levin-Reisner-Kitniyot.pdf

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

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MATZAH – THE ORIGINAL SOUL FOOD

“Then the priest will command for the one who is to be cleansed two pure living birds, cedar wood, scarlet thread and hyssop.” Leviticus 14:4

Rashi – “Because plagues come from pride. What is his remedy, that he should be cured? He should lower himself from his pride like a worm (a play on the Hebrew word for scarlet thread) and hyssop (a low bush).”

For the Rabbis, the “leprosy” (tzara’at) visited on the Israelites was the symptom of a spiritual disorder. The ritual discussed in our portion was carried out only after the victim had been separated from the community, and had taken time to reflect upon his sins and to change his ways.

“For seven days, chametz (leavening) shall not be found in your houses - anyone who eats chametz, that soul shall be cut off from the assembly of Israel ...” Exodus 12:19

There is another ritual which symbolizes the elimination of haughtiness and pride, and that is the observance of Pesach. Chametz, such as yeast, causes dough to bubble and rise, and is symbolic of the inflation of one’s ego. The commandment to remove all of the chametz from our homes may be seen as an instruction to remove pride from our lives. By reducing ourselves to eating matzah for the Passover holiday, we remind ourselves of the sin of pride and the need to deflate our egos. Pesach is "The Festival of Freedom", and matzah is food for freeing the soul.

Remove the chametz from your home and your life for a time; attend a Seder (or two!), and learn about freedom from the slavery of self-importance; eat only “the bread of affliction” for the duration of the holiday; take the hot air out of yourself. Removing chametz from your life can be a spring cleaning of both the physical and the spiritual.

Shabbat shalom - a Shabbat of peace!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier 

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

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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

CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 7:05 pm

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

Saturday – NO Torah Study/Breakfast – resume May 4. Sh’MA (Shabbat Morning Adventure) Service – 9:30 am. A Guitar-led, singalong service with Dr. Steve Pearlman. Designed for the whole family! Followed by kiddush luncheon.

Sunday - Religious School - 9:30 am. Rabbi Flom’s Adult Education program, “A Walk Through the Haggadah” – 10:00 am. Everyone invited. RS Model Seder – 11:00 am.

Tuesday – NO Lunch and Learn until after Pesach – April 30.

See below for information on Pesach at TBH/CBM

Sunday, May 19 – TBH/CBM Concert and Fundraiser – with music, comedy, silent auction, and food and drink. Check our website: http://bnaihayim.com for details. Or contact the TBH office.

Sunday, June 2 - Afternoon at the Colony Theater – “Old Jews Telling Jokes” – a bawdy (not suitable for minors) visit to the Catskills with Jokes, Skits, Song & Dance! Discounted group rate tickets are available until April 25.

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PESACH SERVICES AND EVENTS

WALK THROUGH THE HAGGADAH – Adult education - Sunday, April 14 – 10:00 am

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL MODEL SEDER - Sunday, April 14 – 11:00 am

FAST OF THE FIRST-BORN – STUDY AND SIYYUM – Rabbi Flom’s office

Friday, April 19, 8:00 am

SERVICES

April 20 (Day 1) – 9:30 am

April 21 (Day 2) – 9:30 am

April 26 (Day 7) - 9:30 am and Shabbat Evening 7:30 pm

April 27 (Day 8 - Yizkor) – 9:30 am

TBH/CBM COMMUNAL SEDER

Catering: L.A. Kosher Caterers, led by Rabbi Richard Flom and Reb Jason van Leeuwen

Saturday, April 20 – 6:30 pm

SORRY: THE DEADLINE FOR RESERVATIONS HAS PASSED

INFORMATION FOR PASSOVER

SEARCH FOR CHAMETZ: Complete cleaning of your house of chametz the evening of Thursday, April 18.

SELLING CHAMETZ: Chametz not disposed of must be stored out of sight and sold for the duration of Passover. To sell your chametz, contact Rabbi Flom, as noted above.

FAST/REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN: All first born Jews (except Kohanim and Levi’im) must fast the day before Passover (from dawn April 19 until the Seder) or be redeemed by a donation or Torah study. To redeem yourself or another, send a donation to the TBH/CBM Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund and/or attend the siyyum on Monday, April 19.

MUST THEIR CUP BE EMPTY? MA’OT CHITIM / PASSOVER CHARITY: Make true the words of the Haggadah, “Let all who are hungry enter and eat, all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover” through your donation for those in need.

PASSOVER CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES: Light candles on April 19 for the First Seder at 7:10 pm, for the Second Seder on April 20 at 8:11 pm, on April 25 at 7:15 pm and April 26 at 7:16 pm. Pesach ends at 8:17 pm on April 27.

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

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Mark Brownstein, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Carol Herskowitz, Diana Hirsch, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Marilyn Lee, David Marks, Sandra Raab, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Hadassah Simani (Hadassah bat Sarah Imanu), 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.

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, deliver d’rashot, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

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.

Delegation of Authority to Sell Chametz

Passover—2019/5779                                                                                        

Delegation of Authority to Sell Chametz

I, _________________________________________________, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Richard Flom to act in my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all chametz possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinic Law (e.g. chametz, possible chametz, and all kinds of chametz mixtures).
Also chametz that tends to harden and adhere to inside surfaces of pans, pots, or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, as well as pet food that contain chametz and mixtures thereof.
Rabbi Flom is also empowered to lease all places wherein the chametz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address/es listed below, and elsewhere.
Rabbi Flom has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein.
Rabbi Flom also has the full power and right to act as he deems fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the transaction to sell all my chametz, chametz mixtures, etc., as provided herein. This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.

This Delegation of Power takes effect at 12:00 noon PST on the 14^th day of Nisan, 5779, corresponding to the 19^th day of April, 2019, and ends at 8:13 pm PST on the 23^rd day of Nisan, 5779, corresponding to the 27^th day of April, 2019.

_______________________________________

Signature

Address and Specific Location(s) of Chametz:

HOLD THAT THOUGHT - REALLY!

1 Nisan 5779 / 5-6 April 2019

Parashat Tazria (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh - Shabbat Hachodesh)
Torah Reading: Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59

Seventh Aliyah (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh): Numbers 28:9-15

Maftir (Shabbat Hachodesh): Exodus 12:1 - 20

Haftarah (Shabbat Hachodesh): Ezekiel 45:16 - 46:18 (Ashkenazim); 45:18 - 46:15 (Sephardim)

We are holding our annual Second Seder on Saturday, April 20. The absolute deadline for reservations is 12:00 Noon, Friday, April 5.

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

My annual Pesach Guide – 5779 Edition, is available at my blog:

https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2019/03/pesach-resources-5779-edition.html

More Pesach information follows below this d’var torah.

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

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HOLD THAT THOUGHT - REALLY!

‘And the person with tzara’at, in whom there is affliction, his clothes shall be torn, his hair shall go uncut, and he shall cover over his lips; and “Contaminated! Contaminated!” he will call out. All the days the affliction is in him, he will be contaminated, he is contaminated; he will dwell in isolation, his dwelling will be outside the camp.’ Leviticus 13:45-46

The term tzara’at is often mistranslated as “leprosy”, but it is obvious from a close reading of the text that this is no typical physical disease. The person with tzara’at is called a “metzora”, and the Rabbis taught that this is a contraction for “motzi shem ra” - one who brings forth a bad name, i.e., a slanderer or gossip. Slander itself is referred to as “lashon hara” - evil language.

In Jewish tradition, this is a spiritual disease, one that each and every one of us contracts from time to time - some seem to have a chronic condition! It is a highly contagious disease that is difficult to stop from spreading. The story is told of a man who repented of lashon hara. He asked a rabbi how to atone. The rabbi said, “Cut open a feather pillow, and empty it out into the wind. Then go and collect all of the feathers.”

The Torah’s “cure” is to require one to separate oneself from the community for a time, cover up the lips, and cry out “Contaminated!” Rabbi Israel Salanter says that the metzora is told, “If you are so good at finding fault in others, separate from the community, live in isolation and search out your own faults!”

How can we cry out when our lips are sealed? We must cry within. Consider the meditation, following the Amidah, which begins: “My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking guile.”

This is a form of self-inoculation. If we isolate ourselves from slander and gossip by covering our ears, if we cover our mouths before we speak, if we examine ourselves before criticizing others, and if we cry out from the heart, then we can eliminate the contagion of lashon hara. Don't speak your mind - hold that thought!

Shabbat shalom, chodesh tov, u'lashon tovah - a peaceful Shabbat, a good New Month, and good language.

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier 

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

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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CALENDAR

Candle lighting: 6:58 pm

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

Saturday – Breakfast and Torah study - 8:45 am. Women’s Rosh Chodesh Shabbat Morning Service – 9:30 am.

Kiddush luncheon follows.

Sunday - Religious School - 9:30 am.

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon. NO Lunch and Learn after this until after Pesach – April 30.

Friday, April 12 – Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday, April 13 – NO Torah Study/Breakfast – resume May 4. Sh’MA (Shabbat Morning Adventure) Service – 9:30 am. A Guitar-led, singalong service with Dr. Steve Pearlman. Designed for the whole family! Followed by kiddush luncheon.

See below for complete information on Pesach at TBH/CBM

Sunday, May 19 – TBH/CBM Concert and Fundraiser – with music, comedy, silent auction, and food and drink. Check our website: http://bnaihayim.com for details. Or contact the TBH office.

Sunday, June 2 - Afternoon at the Colony Theater – “Old Jews Telling Jokes” – a bawdy (not suitable for minors) visit to the Catskills with Jokes, Skits, Song & Dance! More info to follow.

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PESACH SERVICES AND EVENTS

April 20 (Day 1) – 9:30 am; April 21 (Day 2) – 9:30 am

April 26 (Day 7) - 9:30 am and Shabbat Evening 7:30 pm;

April 27 (Day 8 - Yizkor) – 9:30 am

WALK THROUGH THE HAGGADAH – Adult education

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL MODEL SEDER

Sunday, April 14 – 10:00 am

FAST OF THE FIRST-BORN – STUDY AND SIYYUM – Rabbi Flom’s office

Friday, April 19, 8:00 am

TBH/CBM COMMUNAL SEDER

Catering: L.A. Kosher Caterers, led by Rabbi Richard Flom and Reb Jason van Leeuwen

Adults: $60 (members); $70 (non-members)

Children: (6-12) $18; (5 and under) Complimentary

Final day to reserve dinner:  Friday, April 5

Saturday, April 20 – 6:30 pm

INFORMATION FOR PASSOVER

PESACH GUIDE - A brief but very useful guide to Kashrut questions for Pesach is available for download and printing at:

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/final_pesah_guide_5779.pdf 

SEARCH FOR CHAMETZ: Complete cleaning of your house of chametz by the evening of Thursday, April 18.

SELLING CHAMETZ: Chametz not disposed of must be stored out of sight and sold for the duration of Passover. To sell your chametz, contact Rabbi Flom.

FAST/REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST-BORN: All first born Jews (except Kohanim and Levi’im) must fast the day before Passover (from dawn April 19 until the Seder) or be redeemed by a donation or Torah study. To redeem yourself or another, submit a donation to the TBH/CBM Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund and/or attend the siyyum on Monday, April 19.

MUST THEIR CUP BE EMPTY? MA’OT CHITIM / PASSOVER CHARITY: Make true the words of the Haggadah, “Let all who are hungry enter and eat, all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover” through your donation for those in need.

PASSOVER CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES: Light candles on April 19 for the First Seder at 7:10 pm, for the Second Seder on April 20 at 8:11 pm, on April 25 at 7:15 pm and April 26 at 7:16 pm. Pesach ends at 8:17 pm on April 27.

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This d’var torah is offered in honor of my wonderful and loving wife and life partner, Lynn Kronzek, celebrating her birthday on Monday, April 8. Mazal tov, my dear! Ad me’ah v’esrim!

This d’var torah is offered in honor of my aunt, Helen Schugar, celebrating her birthday on Monday, April 8. Mazal tov! Ad me’ah v’esrim!

This d’var torah is offered in honor of all the women of TBH/CBM participating in the Shabbat Rosh Chodesh service this Shabbat morning. Mazal tov!

This d’var torah is offered in memory of my father-in-law, Abraham Kronzek, whose

yahrzeit falls this Shabbat, 1 Nisan. Y’hi zikhro liv’rakhah – his memory is a blessing.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Bernard Garvin, Leah Granat, Carol Herskowitz, Diana Hirsch, Brandon Joseph, Gabor Klein, Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Imanu), Marilyn Lee, David Marks, Sandra Raab, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), Bernie Seeman, Hadassah Simani (Hadassah bat Sarah Imanu), 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.

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, deliver d’rashot, and have aliyot and other Torah/bimah honors. Training available! Contact Rabbi Flom by e-mail for details and to sign up!

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.