Parashat Lekh L'kha
Torah: Genesis 12:1 - 17:27
Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16
Torah: Genesis 12:1 - 17:27
Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16
Dedications and calendar follow below. For
complete listings, see our web site at: www.bnaihayim.com
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and
please cite the source.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?
"When Avram was 99 years old,
the Lord (Y-H-W-H) appeared to Avram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty (El
Shaddai). Walk before Me and be blameless.'" Genesis 17:1
In "Guide for the
Perplexed", Rambam (Maimonides) writes that, contrary to what we might
think, God has only one name - the Tetragrammaton which we do not pronounce but
read instead as "Adonai" - Lord. Such "names" as Dayan
(judge), Shaddai (almighty), Tzaddik (righteous), Chanun (gracious), Rachum
(merciful), and Elohim (chief) are descriptive of attributes derived from God's
actions, rather than actual names. It is dangerous, Rambam tells us, to
think of these as names, for that leads to error. On the other hand,
claiming that God has "attributes" may create the belief that there
is a plurality within God, or worse, that there is more than one God. God
cannot be subdivided in this way, according to Rambam, for God has no
limits. Any attempt to describe God must fail because human language, and
of course human beings, have limits.
Of course, this discussion does not
apply to the names of human beings. Consider Avram, whose name means
"exalted father". God tells him, "You shall no longer be
called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, for I make you the father of many
nations." (Gen. 17:5) Indeed, in the Torah, names bestowed by
God are destiny. But for those of us less fortunate than Avraham (or
Sarai, whose name becomes Sarah, or Ya'akov, who becomes Yisrael), we create
our destiny through our own actions. How we live determines how we are
called, even after we die.
Rabbi Shimon taught: "There
are three crowns - the crown of Torah (i.e., being a teacher, though one may be
unworthy), the crown of priesthood and the crown of kingship (both of which are
hereditary). But the crown of a good name excels them all." Avot 4:17
For good or ill, we make names for
ourselves, and it is by those names that we are known.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ
חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every
person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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Candle lighting: 4:36 pm
Friday: Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat
follows.
Saturday: Torah study/breakfast – 8:45 am. Shabbat
Morning Service – 9:30 am. Junior Congregation – 10:00 am. Kiddush
lunch follows.
Sunday: Religious School – 9:30 am.
Monday: TBH/CBM office closed – Veterans Day.
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Friday, 11/15: SIMCHA Shabbat Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Shabbat
Dinner follows. Join us to celebrate November anniversaries, birthdays, and
more! The pareve/dairy dinner is complimentary to all, but reservations
to the office by 11/13 are a must!
Saturday, 11/16: Torah study/breakfast – 8:45 am. Shabbat
Morning Service – 9:30 am.
Sunday, 11/17: TBH/CBM Sisterhood meeting – 11:00 am. Religious School
– 12:00 noon – 2:30 pm. NOTE TIME CHANGE! This is to accommodate the
sofer who will be teaching our students and any interested congregants about
how scrolls for Torah, tefillin, and mezuzot are made and written.
Friday, 11/22: Shabbat ROCKS Evening Service – 6:30 pm. Reb
Jason and the Shul of Rock with an electrified and electrifying service. Oneg Shabbat
follows.
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 in memory
of the first Jews to die in the Shoah, the victims of Kristallnacht, November
9-10, 1938.
This d'var torah is offered in honor of
all who have served in the armed forces of the United States of America. Don’t
forget to fly Old Glory on Monday, 11/11.
This d’var torah is offered for
a refuah shleimah for Leah bat Sarah Imanu, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan
Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Mark Brownstein, Jerry Daniels, Maya
Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Bernard
Garvin, Leah Granat, Gabor Klein, Philip Kronzek, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah
bat Sarah Imanu), Ina Labowitz, Stuart Lytton, David Marks, Gail Neiman, Sandra
Raab, David Russak, Josef Sands, Shirley Sands, Debra Schugar Strauss (Devorah
bat Chaya Feiga), Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina), and William Sragow.
