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ב"ה

Shul Bulletin

Announcements - Vayeitzei

  • Click here for this week’s JEM “Here’s My Story”. 
  • Click here for the KYY update.
  • Click here for a list of our ongoing shiurim. 
  • Click here to pay up all your kibud pledges and outstanding membership. Thank you to all of our supporters!!!
  • Ainyah's Boutique will be opening motzei shabbos for the shop small business American Express event. Click here for more details. 
  • SAVE THE DATE: Community wide Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen for men and women, Thursday night, Kislev 19/December 11.

Shabbos Schedule - Vayeitzei

  • Shabbos Candle Lighting: 4:26
  • Late Minayan for Kabolas Shabbos: 6:15 pm
  • Chassidus, Starbucks and babysitting: 8:40-9:30 sharp @ 118 S. Orange Dr. 
  • Chassidus for Early Minyan with Rabbi Zalman Friedman: 8:45 am
  • Shiur Chassidus by Rabbi Raichik: 9:00 am
  • Last Time To Read Shema: 9:09 am
  • Early Minyan Shacharis: 9:30 am
  • Shacharis: 10:00 am
  • Kol Yakov Yehuda: 10:15 am
  • Mesibas Shabbos For Girls: 3:30 pm
  • Mincha: 4:25 pm 
  • Shabbos Ends: 5:29 pm
  • FATHER AND SON LEARNING: 7:00-8:00 pm 

Kiddush Sponsors - Vayeitzei

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Simcha Frankel in honor of Rabbi Simcha Frankel’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Jonathan Glabman for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Jonathan Glabman’s mother Shulamis bas Reb Tzvi Hirsh ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Mrs. Dorothy Grossman, Rabbi Fischel and Rabbi Boruch Grossman for the yahrtzeit of Reb Nota Moshe ben Reb Tzvi ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Mr. & Dr. Martin Leaderman in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yonah Mordechai Weiss in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together. Also for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Hadassah Weiss’s father Reb Ben-Zion Yisroel Meir ben Reb Menachem Monish ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

Early Minyan Kiddush Sponsors - Vayeitzei

  • Mr. & Mrs. Noteh Berger in honor of Mr. Noteh Berger’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus. Also in honor of their son Shmuel’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
  • The Labkowsky Family for the yahrtzeit of Harav Menachem Mendel ben Nochum Labkowsky ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yisroel Munitz in honor of Rabbi Yisroel Munitz’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Women's Shabbos Shiur - Vayeitzei

4:30 pm - At the home of Mrs. Yocheved Lezak 
423 N Fuller Ave.
Speaker: Rabbi Yisroel Hecht

Mazal Tov To - Vayeitzei

  • Mr. & Mrs. Yossi Niasoff on the engagement of their daughter Shterny to Chili Baron. 
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Schwartz on the birth of their grandson (to Yossi & Hindel Swerdlov).

Upcoming Birthdays

  • Mr. Nota Berger - 7 Kislev
  • Shmuel Berger - 7 Kislev
  • Rabbi Yosef  Y. Shusterman - 8 Kislev
  • Rabbi Yisroel Munitz - 8 Kislev
  • Rabbi Sholom Raichik - 9 Kislev
  • Shmuel Thaler - 10 Kislev
  • Rabbi Simcha Frankel - 10 Kislev
  • Mr. Mendel-Hilel Ganzburg - 10 Kislev
  • Shneur Zalman Arnold - 10 Kislev
  • Nesanel Chananya Soussana - 10 Kislev
  • Rabbi Moshe Levin - 11 Kislev
  • Yehoshua Moshe - 11 Kislev

Upcoming Anniversaries

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yosef Mishulovin - 7 Kislev
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yonah Mordechai Weiss - 7 Kislev
  • Mr. & Dr. Martin Leaderman - 7 Kislev
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yrachmiel Wolowik - 8 Kislev
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Sruly Yusevitch - 10 Kislev

Upcoming Yahrtzeits

  • Reb Nota Moshe ben Reb Tzvi (Rabbi Fischel Grossman’s father) - 7 Kislev
  • Reb Ben-Zion Yisroel Meir ben Reb Menachem Monish (Mrs. Hadassah Weiss’s father) - 9 Kislev
  • Roza bas Reb Chaim (Mrs. Chana Ganzburg’s mother) - 9 Kislev
  • Harav Menachem Mendel ben Nochum Labkowsky - 10 Kislev
  • Shulamis bas Reb Tzvi Hirsh (Rabbi Jonathan Glabman’s mother) - 12 Kislev
  • Reb Leib ben Julius (Mrs. Vickie Elson’s father) - 13 Kislev

Devar Torah - Vayeitzei

Have the Courage to Keep Asking Good Questions
until You Find their Answers
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik

Last week at the Kinus HaShluchim Rabbi Mordecai Avraham Segal of Machon Segal told the following story. The story is about a child named Moshe (a fictitious name) who while in the fifth grade seemed unable to participate in class, he was completely shut down. He had a dedicated and concerned teacher who was touched by this child’s difficulty and made great efforts to warm him up and get him involved in class. Eventually somewhere in the middle of the year Moshe finally asked a question. The teacher, overwhelmed by the change warmly received his question and showered him with compliments about what a good and important question he asked.

The next year his teacher was older man who had survived many difficulties in the Holocaust. When they learned the Gemara in Avodah Zara (3b) about what Hashem does each hour of the day the boy raised his hand. He asked what the Gemara meant when it says that Hashem plays with the Leviathan in the fourth part of each day. The teacher got visibly upset by his question and started lecturing him in front of the entire class about how wrong it is to ask certain questions because it can be considered apikorses, heresy. He explained that even though his generation had been through the Holocaust they still never asked, they simply accepted what was stated without question. He went on, and by the time he finished Moshe was crushed. From that point on he shut down and didn’t reemerge. Later after finishing the Day School system, when Moshe’s parents brought up the subject of which mesivta he should attend the following year, Moshe told them that there would be no mesivta; he was going to public school. Moshe left Judaism.

Moshe threw himself into his studies and became a prominent doctor in Boston. Later on he moved his practice to Brooklyn near Prospect Park. Although he had become a famous doctor that excelled in his field nevertheless he felt empty and frustrated inside. Often he would spend time in Prospect Park reading the newspaper and calming down before returning to work. One day while in the park he read about a young girl who got lost in the forest. The search had grown to 10-15,000 people combing the forest in Massachusetts to find the girl. He was taken by the story and his heart was moved. He prayed to Hashem and said if the girl will be found then he will return to Judaism. She was found and Moshe slowly started becoming a Baal Teshuva.

One day there was a frum Jew from Chicago who needed a specialist in the area that Moshe’s was an expert. He made and appointment with him in Brooklyn and also with another professor in Manhattan the same day. When he arrived for the appointment he said that his custom was to say a Dvar Torah before beginning an appointment. Moshe agreed and immediately asked him what the Gemara meant when it said the Hashem plays with the Leviathan in the fourth part of each day. The man was surprised and asked if he had learned in Yeshiva. He told him about his background and how this question has always bothered him. The man replied that he didn’t have an answer but that when he gets back to Chicago he would bring it up with his Rav and if he had an answer he would be back in contact.

Afterwards this man went to Manhattan for his second appointment. The professor’s office was in a large skyscraper. He arrived at the building a little more than 15 minutes before the appointment and found that the elevator was broken. With no other choice he began climbing up the stairs. After 15 minutes and around 17 flights of stairs he got a call from the professor’s office. He explained what happened and they told him not to worry just to continue on his way. By the 20th floor he stopped for a rest. Finally the elevator got fixed and he got to the floor of the office. He sat down for a minute to catch his breath and fell asleep.

Twenty minutes later at 3 o’clock he suddenly woke up to the sound of coughing. He saw two frum Jews sitting across from him. He told them that he has an appointment that he’s late for but has a custom to first hear a Dvar Torah before hand. One of them answered; “I’ll tell you a Dvar Torah” and began to tell over something he heard from the Rebbe about why Hashem plays with the Leviathan in the forth part of each day. He quoted the paskuk in Breishis (1:21) about the taninim, the great fish that Hashem created*. Rashi explains that this was the Leviathan and his mate. Hashem killed the female and salted her to preserve her for the Tzaddikim in the future. The reason for killing the female Leviathan was to preserve the world that could not be sustained if they would propagate. Because of this the Leviathan no longer had his mate he was very lonely and sad. While it is true that it was necessary to kill the female to protect the world nevertheless he was still sad and alone. This is the reason that ever since then until today, every day Hashem spends the forth part of each day playing with the Leviathan to make him happy because he is alone, and Hashem created him and needs to take care of him. The man then said that the Rebbe told him that this is a lesson that is important for education and will be of use to him in the future. When the man from Chicago heard this he thanked him and then called Moshe the doctor. Moshe found deep meaning in this explanation and became very inspired by what he heard. Soon thereafter Moshe became a wholehearted Baal Teshuva.

From this story we learn important lessons. First, that every word we say to another person can make or break them. Another lesson is that everything in the Gemara has an important lesson for us in life including the aggada. Even if we don’t know what the message is we should ask those that do understand and know. When we look into the Rebbe’s Sichos, Maamarim and Letters we will find answers and guidance. From this story we learn the importance of having sensitivity towards others especially our fellow Jew.

We are now in the month of Kislev. This month we increase in the study of Chassidus. When we learn Chassidus we see in depth how every aspect of the Torah relates and connects to avodas Hashem and answers our deepest questions. We need just open the sefer and learn! If we don’t find the answer we need to ask.

A Good Shabbos

(*We speak about the Leviathan every Rosh Chodesh in Barchi Nafshi. See Rebbe’s Maamar: “Leviathan Zeh Yitzarta l’Sachek Bo” 5712-1952)

Announcements - Toldos

  • Click here for this week’s JEM “Here’s My Story”. 
  • Click here for the KYY update.
  • Click here for a list of our ongoing shiurim. 
  • Click here to pay up all your kibud pledges and outstanding membership. Thank you to all of our supporters!!!

Shabbos Schedule - Toldos

  • Shabbos Candle Lighting: 4:28
  • Late Minayan for Kabolas Shabbos: 6:15 pm 
  • Shabbos Mevorchim Tehillim: 8:15 am
  • Followed by a Shiur Chassidus by Rabbi Simcha Bart
  • Thillim Club: 9:15 am 
  • Last Time To Read Shema: 9:05 am
  • Early Minyan Shacharis: 10:00 am
  • Shacharis: 10:15 am
  • Kol Yakov Yehuda: 10:30 am 
  • Mesibas Shabbos For Girls (in KYY) 3:30 pm
  • Mincha: 4:30 pm
  • Shabbos Ends: 5:31 pm
  • Molad for Chodesh Kislev: Shabbos, Mar-Cheshvan 29/November 22, 9:46 am (and 17 chalokim).
  • Rosh Chodesh Kislev: Sunday, November 23.
  • FATHER AND SON LEARNING: 7:00-8:00 

Kiddush Sponsors - Toldos

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yisroel Bastomski for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yisroel Bastomski’s grandfather Reb Yisroel ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Ariel Haratz in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yossi Schneerson for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Yehudit Schneerson’s father Reb Shmuel Gronim ben Reb Yitzchok Meir ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

Early Minyan Kiddush Sponsors - Toldos

  • Mr. & Mrs. Yirmiyahu Andrusier in honor of Mr. Yirmiyahu Andrusier’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus. 
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Ari Goldman in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Yerachmiel Kuzecki in honor of Mr. Yerachmiel Kuzecki’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Berl Sroka for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Berl Sroka’s mother Miriam bas Reb Pesach Halevi ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Yossi Wachtel in honor of their son Michoel Gavriel’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Women's Shabbos Shiur - Toldos

4:00 pm - At the home of Mrs. Sima Zeifman
421 N Poinsettia Pl.
Speaker: Rabbi Zalman Munitz

Mazal Tov To - Toldos

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Tzemach Rosenfeld on the engagement of his son Isaac to Mima Vanounou.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Eli Vcherashansky on the birth of their grandson (to Yitzy & Esther Malka Kleinman). 

Upcoming Birthdays

  • Mr. Yerachmiel Kuzecki - 29 Cheshvan 
  • Rabbi Munish Weiss - 1 Kislev
  • Rabbi Naftoli Fishman - 1 Kislev
  • Rabbi Tzvi Ferszt - 1 Kislev
  • Boruch Shalom Allison - 1 Kislev
  • Yecheskel Pinson - 3 Kislev
  • Rabbi Eli Feiner - 3 Kislev
  • Michoel Gavriel Wachtel - 4 Kislev
  • Dr. Sholem Gimpel - 4 Kislev
  • Menachem Mendel Levenberg - 4 Kislev
  • Shneur Zalman Plotke - 5 Kislev
  • Mr. Mordy Gluckowsky - 5 Kislev
  • Rabbi Yerachmiel Helfant - 5 Kislev
  • Mr. Tzvika Grossman - 6 Kislev
  • Avremi Raichik - 6 Kislev
  • Mr. Yirmiyahu Andrusier - 6 Kislev

Upcoming Anniversaries

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Ari Goldman - 1 Kislev
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Dovi Goldman - 1 Kislev
  • Mr. & Mrs. David Rafael Gutierrez - 3 Kislev
  • Mr. & Mrs. Ariel Haratz - 4 Kislev

Upcoming Yahrtzeits

  • Reb Shmuel Gronim ben Reb Yitzchok Meir (Mrs. Yehudit Schneerson’s father) - 1 Kislev
  • Miriam bas Reb Pesach Halevi (Mr. Berl Sroka’s mother) - 3 Kislev
  • Chaya bas Reb Sendor (Mrs. Marsha Alperin’s mother) - 6 Kislev
  • Reb Levi ben Reb Zalman Yudah (Mrs. Rochel Eisenberg’s brother) - 6 Kislev
  • Reb Yisroel (Rabbi Yisroel Bastomski’s grandfather) - 6 Kislev

Devar Torah - Toldos

Children of the Rabbeim Only Get Stronger in Difficult Times
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik

It’s very hard to express the feelings that most of us are feeling and thinking about what occurred in Eretz Yisroel this week. The horrors that these inhumane creatures carried out in their cruel and evil way is unspeakable.  These are terrorist vultures that cannot be reasoned with. They are just like Hitler y”sh. They want everything and they want to throw us into the sea. We see the world standing by and watching in silence as they, with Jewish blood on their hands celebrate the death and the killing with dancing and singing. They also celebrated the death of 3000 innocents on 9/11. The American government is blind. They push forward without any rational another round of peace initiatives and finger pointing at Israel. If the world would have stood up and fought for the Eretz Yisroel all these years and taken a strong hand against terrorism would the world be facing the likes of ISIS in 2014? I doubt it. 

We also need to take a look at ourselves. In Eretz Yisroel the definition of a Jew and the purpose of a Jew has been breached. It began both spiritually and tangibly when the Rebbe waged the battle over the wording of the famous legislation known as  “Mihu Yehudi- Who is a Jew” in Israel’s Knesset. The Rebbe fought that the wording of the law should read that a conversion should be according to Halacha, “giur h’halacha”. We are still in the midst of this battle as the law has not yet been amended and the government in Israel is stalling with a half a million Russian immigrants whose status is still undefined. All of this has trickled down into the physical as well and our borders are not secure. The Rebbe said this concept clearly the 13th of Tishrei 5734-1973 in the middle of the Yom Kippur War.

What we can learn from this is that it takes time to get lost in the forest. We see from that what has happened in Israel didn’t occur overnight.

So too today we see the rise of radical Islam. It all began with President Carter forcing the Shah out of power in Iran back in the 1970’s. The lesson for us today is not to compromise. We shouldn’t collapse to pressure by saying I can’t keep this minhag or I must compromise on this or that negative influence in the home. Our animal soul is just that, an animal. It wants everything and will never give in to partial compromises.

Moses Mendelsohn, the founder of the Reform Movement was a religious Jew. He put on Tefillin every day. Since he veered, even if it was a little at first, we see what came in the end. The students of the Baal Shem Tov were well aware of this danger and knew how to stay away from the trap of compromises. They could see beyond the allure of compromise and instead waged battle against Mendelsohn’s ideology through the inspiration found in chassidus. The Rebbe Rashab was standing strong by founding Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim 20 years in advance of the Russian Revolution and it’s consequences; “ikvus meshichecha”. The Rebbe saw what lay ahead in our generation and forged forward with Mivtzoyim, Chabad Houses and Ufaratzta.

By being connected, the Rebbe gives us the power to continue the struggle over Mihu Yehudi and to repair the breach in our borders in Eretz Yisroel. We need to safeguard every word in the Torah that it remains complete without compromise in thought, speech and action. We are Chayolei Bais David and we do not compromise. This is the way that we will win the galus and bring the geula Now!

Announcements - Chayei Sarah

  • Click here for this week’s JEM “Here’s My Story”. 
  • Click here for the KYY update.
  • Click here for a list of our ongoing shiurim. 
  • Click here to pay up all your kibud pledges and outstanding membership. Thank you to all of our supporters!!!

Shabbos Schedule - Chayei Sarah

  • Shabbos Candle Lighting: 4:31
  • Shiur in Sichos by Rabbi Raichik following kabolas shabbos 
  • Late Minayan for Kabolas Shabbos: 6:15 pm
  • Chassidus, Starbucks and babysitting: 8:40-9:30 sharp @ 118 S. Orange Dr. 
  • Chassidus for Early Minyan with Rabbi Zalman Friedman: 8:45 am
  • Shiur Chassidus by Rabbi Raichik: 9:00 am
  • Last Time To Read Shema: 9:01 am
  • Early Minyan Shacharis: 9:30 am
  • Shacharis: 10:00 am
  • Kol Yakov Yehuda: 10:15 am
  • Mesibas Shabbos For Girls: 3:30 pm
  • Mincha: 4:30 pm 
  • Shabbos Ends: 5:34 pm

Sholom Zochor

Baruch & Esther Perel Kreiman
Invite the community to a Sholom Zochor
at 6002 W 3rd St.
(In Park La Brea. Enter on 3rd)

Kiddush Sponsors - Chayei Sarah

  • Anonymous in honor of Chof Cheshvan. May they and the entire community be blessed with kol tuv se’ela.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Simcha Frankel in honor of Rabbi and Rebbitzen Raichik for all they do for the community. May they and the entire community be blessed with kol tuv se’ela.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Grunfeld in honor of Chof Cheshvan. May they and the entire community be blessed with kol tuv se’ela.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Hayman for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Daniel Hayman’s mother Leah bas Shraga Feivel ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Mr. & Mrs. David Kaufman for the yahrtzeit of Mr. David Kaufman’s grandfather Reb Zelig ben Reb Yitzchok ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya. 
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Shmuel Novack in honor Rabbi and Rebbitzen Raichik for all they do for the anash. May they and the entire community be blessed with kol tuv se’ela.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Shmuel Stroll in honor of the birth of their grandson Yosef ben Levi Yitzchak Goldstein. May they have much nachas from him and may he grow up to Torah, to Chupa and to Maasim Tovim.

Early Minyan Kiddush Sponsors - Chayei Sarah

  • Mr. & Mrs. Michael Zaghi in honor of the birth of their son Moshe Natan. May they have much nachas from him and may he grow up to Torah, to Chupa and to Maasim Tovim.

Women's Shabbos Shiur - Chayei Sarah

4:30 pm - At the home of Mrs. Chana Weiss 
411 N Martel Pl.
Speaker: Mrs. Chana Rochel Schusterman

Mazal Tov To - Chayei Sarah

  • Mr. & Mrs. Baruch Kreiman on the birth of their son.

Upcoming Birthdays

  • Mr. Shmuel Eiferman - 22 Cheshvan
  • Rabbi Tzvi Kravitz - 24 Cheshvan
  • Dovid Yehudah Brooker - 24 Cheshvan
  • Yisroel Dovid Tsikman - 24 Cheshvan
  • Rabbi Zalman Friedman - 26 Cheshvan
  • Rabbi Moishe Kasowitz - 26 Cheshvan
  • Mr. Eli Kagan - 27 Cheshvan
  • Mr. Simcha Kagan - 27 Cheshvan
  • Hershel Tsikman - 27 Cheshvan
  • Rabbi Sholom Ber Kesselman - 28 Cheshvan

Upcoming Anniversaries

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Tzvi Kravitz - 24 Cheshvan
  • Mr. & Mrs. Pinchas Hirsch - 26 Cheshvan

Upcoming Yahrtzeits

  • Reb Zelig ben Reb Yitzchok (Mr. David Kaufman’s grandfather) - 22 Cheshvan
  • Leah bas Reb Shraga (Mr. Daniel Hayman’s mother) - 24 Cheshvan
  • Yosef ben Reb Nachman Ber Kreiman - 28 Cheshvan

Devar Torah - Chayei Sarah

Removing The Wool from Our Eyes
(The ONLY Way to Accomplish Our Purpose is By Speaking the Truth!)
Rabbi Shimon Raichik

In this week’s parsha of Chayei Sarah we read about how Avraham Avinu bought Mahras HaMachpelah. On this Shabbos every year the city of Chevron welcomes thousands of visitors from all over the world. They come to show solidarity and as a result are saying that Mahras HaMachpelah is the undisputed acquisition of Avraham Avinu and the inheritance of the Jewish people along with the entire city of Chevron; the first capitol of David HaMelech.

The city of Chevron had a continuous Jewish community throughout the millennia up until the 1920’s. In 1929 there was a massacre carried out by the local Arab population. As a result the community was temporarily disbanded. Notwithstanding the history, for some reason the Israeli government has decided to give the city of our forefathers  away to the grandchildren of the murderers that carried out that massacre. Why did they and how could they do such a terrible thing? Shouldn’t they have rather rebuild the Jewish community of Chevron with Mahras HaMachpelah at its center? There is no dispute that Mahras HaMachpelah is the  possession of Avraham Avinu, the acquisition itself clearly written and recorded in the Torah. Also, why has the Israeli government given almost exclusive use of the tomb of Yizchok to the Arabs and disbar access to Jews who are his heirs? They aren’t even related to Yitzchok! Also, after all the terrorism and broken promises why does the Israeli government even consider the self destructive possibly of two states (living side by side in terror!)?

On Yom Tov we say in the Musaf prayer: “Mipnei chataeinu galinu m’artzeinu; Because of our sins we were exiled from our land”. This prayer is the same for every Jew whether he lives outside or inside Eretz Yisroel. The reason is because the galus isn’t just physical and only for those living outside of Eretz Yisroel but is also spiritual and relevant to everyone, even those living inside Eretz Yisroel.

The Jewish people have developed a style of appeasement and compromise throughout our long and bitter galus. We have paid exaggerated taxes, come up with exorbitant ransoms, and have been disbarred and exiled from living in many locations around the globe in ways too inhumane to mention. Unfortunately it is easy to see that our galus habits and styles are alive and well today in Eretz Yisroel. We continue with our appeasements and we still pay our ransoms, as if attached to a ball and chain (the ball and chain of galus) and are endangering lives and then passing it’s consequences on to our children and future generations.

Each one of us in our personal lives have similar challenges. We try to strike a balance between living a Jewish life and having a Chassidishe home while being successful in the outside world. We often seek compromises and appeasements as a way of keeping it all together.

Just like Avraham never changed the mind of Og the King of Bashan, so too we will never appease world opinion by giving in and we will never achieve peace through compromise, everyone knows it. So when will this madness stop??

The Rebbe was the only leader who foresaw where all the consequences of our decisions lead and was the only one to courageously speak out about them. The Rebbe clearly said that only by being outspoken in a straightforward and honest way about our beliefs and positions would we be successful in accomplishing the right outcome. Why was the Rebbe the only one to speak out? Where were all the other leaders? It’s because the Rebbe is the Nasi. The word Nasi is an acronym in hebrew for Nitzus Shel Yaakov Avinu, a spark of Yaakov Avinu. The Rebbe is like a ceder tree that Yaakov planted that can see beyond the horizon. He is tall like a date palm, as it says in Tehillim that the tzaddik is like a tall date palm tree. There are special neshamos that come down into every generation that are part of the geula. They see above and beyond the galus. Their goal is to stop the suffering of those that are effected by the galus and bring geula to the world. They are here to guide us.

Therefore, the Rebbe is telling us to remove the galus cataracts from our eyes and look at our situation from a geula perspective. We have a strong connection with Hashem that gets stronger every day as we learn more Torah, especially Chassidus the neshama of the Torah, and do more mitzvos. Through our strong, and only getting stronger connection to Hashem and to the Rebbe we have more than enough strength and courage to stand up and tell the world that Eretz Yisroel is ours, as it says in the Torah and we will settle the entire land, where we want and when we want.

So too in our daily lives, we never give up on ahavas Yisroel. With ahavas Yisroel and with Chassidus we can turn the tide in our homes, communities and with our youth. It does not come from making compromises and appeasements saying things like; what can I do, today we don’t live in the generation of the Alter Rebbe or in the shtetel. We need to remove the cataracts from our eyes and our galus perspective of weakness and though hiskashrus, our connection to Hashem and to the Rebbe  transform the world with strength and with resolve. It's time to stop being politically correct and say the truth in Eretz Yisroel that Mahras HaMachpelah belongs to the Jews and not Yishmael. So too in our homes we need to speak without compromise, with warmth and ahavas Yisroel To be continued…

A Good Shabbos

Announcements - VaYera

  • Click here for this week’s JEM “Here’s My Story”. 
  • Click here for the KYY update.
  • Click here for a list of our ongoing shiurim. 
  • Click here to pay up all your kibud pledges and outstanding membership. Thank you to all of our supporters!!! 
  • Bikur Cholim: Mr. Oscar Piperno is in Sharon Convalescent Hospital - 8167 W 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90048. Please consider visiting or contacting him before or after Shabbos. 
  • Nichum Aveilim: Mrs. Sterna Sanowicz is sitting shiva in France for the passing of her brother Reb Shmuel ‘Muleh’ Azimov ob”m. she can be reached at [email protected].
    Mr. Stuart (Shmuel) Flait is sitting shiva for the passing of his father. Shiva will be at his home, 8642 Gregory Way, #104. 9am-9pm until Tuesday.
    Rabbi Binyomin Fajnland is sitting shiva after his sister Dina Leventall of kiryat Arba. Shiva at 3505 Lime Ave. Long Beach.
    Hamokom Yenachem Eschem Betoch Shaar Aveilei Tzion VeYerushalaim. Vehokitzu veranenu shochnei ofor....vehem besocham.
  • SUNDAY: - Mivtzoim opportunity- This Sunday, MarCheshvan 16/Nov. 9, app. 5,000 people will participate in the Run for Her Walk. The festival will take place at Pan Pacific Park from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon.  Please take your tefilin to the park. Neshek will be available at 418 N. Fuller Ave.- front door. WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW !!
  • The shul wishes a heartfelt MAZAL TOV to Rabbi Mendel Greenbaum upon him receiving the Milken Award this week. May Hashem grand him much kochos to continue to his special work metoch harchovo and menuchas hanefesh vehaguf.

Shabbos Schedule - VaYera

  • Shabbos Candle Lighting: 4:36
  • Shiur in Sichos by Rabbi Raichik following kabolas shabbos 
  • Late Minayan for Kabolas Shabbos: 6:15 pm
  • Chassidus, Starbucks and babysitting: 8:40-9:30 sharp @ 118 S. Orange Dr. 
  • Chassidus for Early Minyan with Rabbi Zalman Friedman: 8:45 am
  • Shiur Chassidus by Rabbi Raichik: 9:00 am
  • Last Time To Read Shema: 8:57 am
  • Early Minyan Shacharis: 9:30 am
  • Shacharis: 10:00 am
  • Kol Yakov Yehuda: 10:15 am
  • Mesibas Shabbos For Girls: 3:30 pm
  • Mincha: 4:35 pm 
  • Shabbos Ends: 5:39 pm

Sholom Zochor & Bris

Zalman and Chaya Raksin
Invite the community to a Sholom Zochor
at 435 N Poinsettia Place.

The Bris will iy"h take place
Sunday, 16 Mar-Cheshvan/Novmber 9, 2 pm
at J.E.T.S - 16601 Rinaldi St, Granada Hills, CA 91344 

Kiddush Sponsors - VaYera

  • Mr. & Mrs. Milton Goodman for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Milton Goodman’s brother Yitzchok ben Yisroel ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Binyomin Kaplan in honor of Rabbi Binyomin Kaplan’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Early Minyan Kiddush Sponsors - VaYera

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Yitzchok Hakohen Arnold for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Chana Arnold’s mother Alta Elka bas Reb Avrohom Bunim Hakohen ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Yossi Goldman in honor of Yossi’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Jack Soussana for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Elka Soussana’s mother Reb Keira bas Reb Yosef ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

Women's Shabbos Shiur - VaYera

4:30 pm - At the home of Mrs. Sima Zeifman 
421  N Poinsettia Pl.
Speaker: Rabbi Yisroel Hecht

Mazal Tov To - VaYera

  • Rabbi and Mrs. Shaya Berkowitz on the birth of their grandson (to Zalman and Chaya Raksin).
  • Mr. & Mrs. Sholom Fine on the marriage of their son Dov to Leah Rosner.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Fishman on the bar mitzvah of their grandson Yakov Fishman.
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Levi Goldstein on the birth of their son. Mazal tov to the grandparents Rabbi & Mrs. Shmuel Stroll. 
  • Rabbi & Mrs. Chaim Yitzchok Sanowicz on the birth of their grandson (to Yosef and Hadasa Fine).
  • Mr. & Mrs. Yitzchok Wiener on the birth of their daughter Menucha Rochel. 

Upcoming Birthdays

  • Dr. Binyomin Kaplan - 15 Cheshvan
  • Menachem Mendel Eliyahu Goldman - 16 Cheshvan
  • Mr. Chaim Meyer Pell - 16 Cheshvan
  • Binyamin Eliyahu Lumer - 17 Cheshvan
  • Mr. Daniel Dorn - 17 Cheshvan
  • Mr. Levi Nagel - 19 Cheshvan
  • Mr. Yossi Goldman - 20 Cheshvan
  • Menachem Mendel Stark - 20 Cheshvan
  • Dr. Ira  Cohen - 21 Cheshvan

Upcoming Anniversaries

  • Rabbi & Mrs. Jonathan Glabman - 20 Cheshvan

Upcoming Yahrtzeits

  • Reb Dovid ben Reb Moshe Yehushua (Mrs. Sarah Morris’s father) - 15 Cheshvan
  • Alta Elka bas Reb Avrohom Bunim Hakohen (Mrs. Chana Arnold’s mother) - 16 Cheshvan
  • Reb Doniel Refuel ben Reb Gershon (Mr. Reuven Solomon’s brother) - 17 Cheshvan
  • Reb Keira bas Reb Yosef (Mrs. Elka Soussana’s mother) - 19 Cheshvan

Devar Torah - VaYera

Against All Odds
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik

This week’s parsha Vayeira tells us about the great feast that Avraham made “bayom higamel es Yitzchok”, the day he weaned Yitzchok. The word “higmal” can mean to wean or it can mean to fully develop. There is a discussion about which milestone in Yitzchok’s life was being celebrated. Most say it was the day he reached 24 months, the day he was weaned from his mother’s milk. Another opinion says that it was the day of his Bar Mitzvah when he became fully developed as a man and weaned from his yetzer hara.

The Medrash says that Og had earlier proclaimed that Avraham could not give birth to a child, “Avraham eino molid”. At this celebration some told Og that today we see that what you proclaimed, is not true. Og replied that it doesn’t matter either way because with nothing more than his smallest finger he can squash Yizchok. Hashem said that Og would live a long life. He will live to see 600,000 of Avraham’s children and then they will kill him (by the sword).

The Rebbe explains the context of this Medrash. Og already realized that the success Avraham achieved against all odds in his battle against the 4 kings was due to his emunah. Og was convinced that Avraham’s emunah and its impact was an anomaly, was not transferrable to the next generation and would therefore simply fade away.

Some took notice of Avraham’s success in his education of Yitzchok and told Og to recognize that indeed there would be a continuation into the next generation with Yitzchok following in his ways. Og replied; impossible! He said; “Avraham eino molid” meaning that Avraham does not have the capacity to pass on his emunah in a concrete way to the next generation. Therefore according to the opinion that the celebration was Yitzchok’s Bar Mitzvah they said back to Og, we see clearly that you were wrong and that his emunah is alive and well and impacts this physical world as well!

At that time Og had an all-star image in the culture and represented conventional wisdom. Everyone would look up to his physical might and prowess and believed in his approach as the best way to achieve success in the world. He represented success though might and with force. In the worldview of Og  gashmius always trumps ruchnius. Og proud reply to his naysayers was that with my smallest finger, meaning with the weakest of my responses I am able to crush Yitzchok together with his emunah in Hashem, and his silly and unsustainable belief in the preeminence of ruchnius over gashmius.

Hashem said that he was sorely mistaken and that 600,000 physical children after breaking out of Mitzrayim the global force of the time would be travelling through the desert to capture Eretz Yisroel and there he would be killed (by a physical sword). He would not go like the city of Yericho with the sounds of the shofar or like the army of Sancheriv that died when they heard the shira of the malachim by the walls of Yerushalayim.  Rather he would go by the physical sword in order to show the power and the tangibility emunah has in everything, including the physical.

We are the descendants of Avraharm Yitzchok and Yaakov, we are the inheritors this emunah. We should never fear the Og’s of this world and with our emunah we will be able to physically live in this world with all of it’s naysayers and make this world a dwelling place for Hashem against all odds. This is what the Rebbe shows us; it’s by being connected to the Rebbe, this gives us the strength to move forward and to win all the battles of galus and reveal Moshiach.

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