Community Links Issue 175

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Vol. 8 Issue 175

February 25-March 11, 2011

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Features February 25, 2011 Next Advertising Deadline March 4, 2011 Circulation March 11, 2011

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Going The Extra Mile

Then she looked at the beautiful gown that she had sewn for me and sighed, "if only we could afford such beautiful material for a gown."

Rabbi Mordechai Kaminetzky www.torah.org THE COMMUNITY LINKS is published biweekly and is distributed free to the Jewish Community of Southern California.

THE COMMUNITY LINKS accepts no responsibility for typographical errors or reliability of Kashrus of any advertisers. All submissions become the property of THE COMMUNITY LINKS and may be shortened and/or edited for length and clarity. Articles published in THE COMMUNITY LINKS express the views of the individual writers and may not necessarily represent the views of THE COMMUNITY LINKS. No artwork or any part of the magazine may be reprinted or otherwise duplicated without the written permissions of the publisher.

Social Skills

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Many children pick up social skills by observing the mannerisms of their parents, siblings and teachers. For some, an occasional explanation of social etiquette is enough to instill within them a general understanding of what is socially expected.

Shifra Weltman

The Removeable Self

BJE Early Childhood Education Awards Simin Imanuel of Yeshivat Yavneh Early Childhood Center received a Lainer Award from BJE this year..

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We’ve got a seven-foot Cossack in one of the cots up on the top floor. You’re kinda small—you can try climbing in beside him.”

Yanki Tauber

community links • Volume 8 Issue 175 4

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B

Going the Extra Smile

uilding a sanctuary is difficult enough. Getting people to donate has been, historically, even more difficult. That, however, was not the case concerning the Mishkan. The Torah in this week's portion tells us that everyone contributed to the cause. Men and women brought gold and silver. They brought personal items and family items.

Copper mirrors were donated as well as bracelets, bangles and baubles. Those who had wool and linen came and those who had dyes donated.

Before the pledges began arriving, the Nesseim were so confident that the goals would not be met, that they pledged to fill the gap of any missing funds. They were shocked to learn that there was almost nothing for them to contribute! So much of every item was donated that an announcement was made, ordering the entire nation to halt their generosity. (It may have been the first and last of its kind!)

But what interests me is one other group of people that the Torah mentions as contributors. "And all those who Hashem inspired with wisdom to do the work. They took in front of Moshe the donations that the Jews brought for the work of the Mishkan, and the brought an additional offering each morning" (Exodus 36:2-4).

Why did the Torah single out that these people brought something to the Mishkan? Didn't everybody?

The daughter of Rabbi Zusia of Anipol's was engaged. As poor as he was, Reb Zusia and his wife scraped together enough money for a seamstress to sew a beautiful gown for the bride-to-be. After a month the gown was ready, and Reb Zusia's wife went with her bundle of rubles to the home of the seamstress to get the finished gown.

PARSHAS VAYAKHEL 8

February 25, 2011

She came home empty-handed. "Where is the gown?" asked both the Rebbe and his daughter, almost in unison.

"Well," said his wife, "I did a mitzvah.

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When I came to pick up the gown, I saw tears in the eyes of the seamstress. I asked her why she was crying and she told me that her daughter, too, was getting married. Then she looked at the beautiful gown that she had sewn for me and sighed, "if only we could afford such beautiful material for a gown."

Reb Zusia's wife continued. "At that moment I decided to let the seamstress have our gown as a gift!"

Reb Zusia was delighted. The mitzvah of helping a poor bride was dear to him and he longed for the opportunity to fulfill it. But he added one question to his wife. "Did you pay her for the work she did for us?"

"Pay her?" asked the wife, "I gave her the gown!"

"I'm sorry," said the Rebbe. "You told me the gown was a gift. We still owe her for the weeks of work she spent for us."

The rebbitzen agreed and, in addition to the gift of the gown she compensated the seamstress for her work.

The men and women who toiled laboriously could have said that they had done their share. After all, they crafted and wove the beautiful utensils and tapestries of the Mishkan. Yet that was not enough for them. In addition to the work they did, Rabbi Shlomo Kluger (1786-1829) explains, they contributed too! They did not stop their commitment with their work for the Mishkan. The Torah tells us that they, too, gave each morning. The efforts of individuals were crowned by their relentless generosity. In addition to their time and their skills, they gave their possessions. In a generation that looks to abdicate responsibility and commitment, it is wonderful to read about men and women who searched for more ways to give - and found them! • Rabbi Mordechai Kaminetzky www.torah.org info@communitylinks.info

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difficulties making friends, maintaining a conversation, giving directions, conversing with adults or peers, or joining a group. As parents and educators, we want to make sure that the children and adolescents who do need the extra help or push in the area of language or social skills receive it in a timely manner.

Inviting a friend over to play…

Greeting an aunt or uncle at a family gathering…Comforting a friend when they have fallen down or failed a test… Answering the phone and taking a message…

To a normally functioning child or adult, the tasks listed above often come as second- nature. These skills, along with many others, are necessary to make and keep friends, to communicate efficiently and appropriately, and to act appropriately and politely.

Many children pick up social skills by observing the mannerisms of their parents, siblings and teachers. For some, an occasional explanation of social etiquette is enough to instill within them a general understanding of what is socially expected. Other children, however, must be explicitly taught what is appropriate and what is not. These children require clarification: reasons for the expected behaviors, models, and scripts.

Impairments in the areas of pragmatics and social skills are often associated with autism spectrum disorders

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(ASD). Unfortunately, these disorders are on the rise, with a prevalence of nearly 1 in 110 children (in the U.S., according to the CDC). The disorder is much more common in boys,

Luckily, there are many things parents and teachers can do to help their children and students improve in the area of social communication. Try these easy and effective activities in your home or classroom to teach awareness of social niceties and to fine-tune interpersonal relationship skills. Your kids will thank

Social Skills- What can you do to help your child become a better communicator? with a prevalence closer to 1 in 70!

Clearly, this is an issue that affects every community, and the Jewish community is no exception. Most children with moderate to severe impairments quickly get identified and can receive therapy and early intervention. However, children with very mild forms of the disorder often slip through the cracks, and are not assessed or receive any form of treatment until later in adolescence, if at all. Whereas autism is commonly diagnosed in toddlers, the average age of diagnosis in Asperger Syndrome (AS), for example, is age 11. Other children do not meet the diagnostic criteria for ASD at all, but still have • 323-965-1544 •

you!

Tip 1: Did you know that playing with LEGO in a structured manner can help teach kids social skills and how to work together? A study by Owens, et al. (2008) found that when a small group of children worked together to assemble a LEGO set, over time, improvement were seen in joint problem solving, joint attention, and verbal communication. Assign one child to be the architect, another to be the engineer, and the third to be the builder. The first can decide what to make, and work with the second child to figure out how to construct the structure. At this point, the architect or engineer (or both) can give verbal info@communitylinks.info

instructions to the builder how to assemble the project.

Working together, sharing responsibilities and giving verbal instructions are often tough tasks for young children who may want to control the project from start to finish, but this fun activity can help improve and hone social skills.

Tip 2: Do your young children like to dress up or play make-believe? Role-playing is a tried and true way to teach important social skills. Dr. Miriam Adahan relates that she often has her children and clients pretend to be Esther Ha’malka or Shlomo Ha’melech. When the children are in character, Dr. Adahan asks them for advice about the very problems or issues these children are having. By stepping out of their real life for a few moments, sometimes children can see their situation from another perspective and can understand or internalize lessons which they have trouble doing under normal circumstances. Role-play a situation in which your child’s friend has gotten hurt and needs comforting. Have your child imagine that she has forgotten to study for her test and needs to explain this to her teacher (you). Ask your child to show you how he would join a group of kids who are playing a game or having a conversation.

Tip 3: Teach skills in a “parts-to-whole” manner.

Break each skill you want to teach into small parts, and explain and teach each part individually. For example, if you want to teach your child how to have a conversation with a new kid at school, identify the different parts of conversation: greetings, initiating the conversation, asking questions, answering questions, maintaining the conversation, active listening (“oh, really?”, “uh, huh”, etc.), concluding the conversation. Each individual part should be explained and modeled.

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Tip 4: Discuss the “why” -- the importance-- of each part of the conversation. Direct teaching has been found to be even more effective than role-playing alone.

Teach each skill explicitly. Only then should these skills be rehearsed and taught.

Tip 5: Teaching social skills in pairs or small groups has been found to be more effective than one on one therapy alone. As parents, encourage play dates, organize group activities, and, if your child is seen by a speech or occupational therapist, ask about dyadic therapy. A teacher or therapist can teach and practice skills with a child, but there is nothing like real life experience with other children!

Tip 6: Encourage your child to reach outside his com-

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fort zone. Dr. Temple Grandin, a respected author lecturer, who herself has Autism, once explained that as a child and teenager in the 1950’s, her mother made her go to the market alone and fill up the car with gas at the gas station, even though these were very difficult and daunting tasks for her. She credits her mother’s forcing her to do activities such as these for the progress and gains that she has accomplished in life. So, the next time you are calling the pizza place to put in an order, have your child make the call. Rehearse what he/she is to say before-hand, write out a script, and practice the call, but let your child have the opportunity to go beyond his or her comfort zone and grow.

Tip 7: Use social stories to teach social skills and awareness (Scattone, 2008).

Children can illustrate their own social comic strips, or parents and teachers can make up and illustrate personalized social stories and discuss the different

problems children may encounter and the various emotions and feeling they may have. Alternatively, there are several social stories books available to the public at libraries, bookstores or on Amazon.com. Again, using social stories allows children to step outside themselves and perhaps see more clearly and talk through an issue that they themselves may struggle with.

Tip 8: Don’t forget to explain and practice skills such as eye contact (explain how looking at a person shows the speaker that you are paying attention and processing what they are saying), intonation (explain how varying your intonation can change the meaning of what you are saying), or whole body listening (how you position your body gives a message to the other people in the conversation as to how you are feeling and what you are thinking). Finally, children and adolescents often need practice in filtering knowledge and opinion. What

should they express and what should they keep inside?

The above tips and activities can be addressed in the classroom or at home, with teachers, therapists, and parents.

These lessons can effectively improve a child’s ability to interact well with parents, teachers, relatives and peers, and are useful for children with or without diagnosed social skills impairments.

Hopefully, with the appropriate explanations, modeling, role-playing and practice, even children and adolescents who struggle with manners and/or social skills can become effective and successful communicators.

Shifra Weltman, M.S. SLP-CCC, specializes in the treatment of social skills, language and articulation impairments in children and adolescents in individual and group settings (social skills groups). She can be reached at dweltman@gmail.com

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BJE Early Childhood Education Awards BJE: Builders of Jewish Education (formerly Bureau of Jewish Education) confers awards on outstanding educators each year in the field of early childhood education at BJE’s annual conference for early childhood educators. On January 10, 2011, exceptional teachers were publically presented with Lainer Distinguished Educator Awards and Smotrich Educator Awards, in front of over 300 educators representing over 40 preschools at the 31st annual BJE Bebe Feuerstein Simon Early Childhood Institute.

The Lainer “Distinguished Educator Awards for Early Childhood and Religious School Educators,” founded in 1997 by the Simha and Sara Lainer Family Foundation to highlight the critical role that Jewish educators play in our children’s lives and in perpetuating Jewish traditions and values, includes a cash award of $2500 presented annually to exemplary educators from BJE-affiliated early childhood centers and religious schools. Simin Imanuel of Yeshivat Yavneh Early Childhood Center received a Lainer Award from BJE this year.

BJE Executive Director Dr. Gil Graff, Director of Early Childhood at Yeshivat Yavneh Malka Katz, BJE Lainer award winner Simin Imanuel, and BJE Director of Early Childhood Education Services Esther Elfenbaum

Simin Imanuel, known as “Morah Simin,” has taught at Yeshivat Yavneh Early Childhood for the last 19 years. Simin is described by Yavneh’s Early Childhood Director as a “loving, warm and creative teacher,” and she is adored by the parents and children she teaches and respected and admired by her colleagues. Simin is a role model for all, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Throughout her teaching career, Simin has displayed tremendous creativity as an educator. She engages the students in imaginative projects and creates games, puppets and “Big” books for use in the classroom. Simin has also collected flannel board stories for Jewish and American holidays and for the weekly Torah portion, and she incorporates a strong Judaica curriculum into her daily lesson plan. Simin is loving, warm, good natured, and a dynamic educator who is devoted to her students and to teaching.

At the conference, Smotrich Awards for Innnovative Curriculum were presented to encourage excellence in early childhood education. Orly Hershtik of Gan Israel in Tarzana received a $100 cash prize from BJE in recognition of the innovative curriculum she created on creation.

Teachers who participated in BJE’s conference this year attended sessions on a variety of topics throughout the day and learned about “The Outdoor Classroom,” which was the theme of the conference this year. •

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The Removable Self

By Yanki Tauber

A

wandering Jew wanders into a small flophouse late one cold and stormy night.

“All full up,” says the innkeeper.

“Two, three to a bed. Let’s see . . .

We’ve got a seven-foot Cossack in one of the cots up on the top floor.

You’re kinda small—you can try climbing in beside him.”

Thankfully accepting the gracious offer, the wandering Jew climbs the stairs to the garret, but not before asking the innkeeper to wake him well before dawn. “Got a train to catch,” he says importantly.

enhance, even transform, his very identity.

Indeed, the identities we tailor for ourselves have several notable advantages over the inborn variety. They can improve upon our natural self by accentuating our good features, and by de-emphasizing—or even employing to advantage—our less desirable ones. What’s even better is that they’re completely removable: if they don’t wear well, or if they turn out to have been a mistake in the first place, we can replace them with a different set.

Before he knows it, there’s a hand shaking him awake. “It’s well before dawn,” says a voice. “Your train.”

He dresses hurriedly in the dark and rushes to the train station. On the way to the platform he passes a large mirror in an ornate frame. A Cossack in uniform looks back at him.

“That idiot innkeeper!” he exclaims in dismay. “He woke up the Cossack instead of the wandering Jew. I’ll never make it back in time to wake myself up in time to catch my train!

Whoever it was that referred to the human being as “the naked ape” got it all wrong. Man is the only truly clothed creature—a creature who attires him- or herself not only for warmth and protection, but to alter,

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others and towards ourselves—these are the “clothes” we fashion for our souls.

With these garments, we can project our character and personality in ways that amplify its positive features, subdue its negative ones, and even express a negative trait in a positive way.

We dress an abstract feeling in the words “I love you.” We cover up animosity with civil behavior. We bundle an overblown ego into the urge to become the biggest donor to charity in the community. And if we find ourselves wearing threadbare ideas or ugly behavior patterns, we remind ourselves that these are just garments: dump them in the hamper and get yourself a more tasteful wardrobe.

Of course, a more basic approach to self-improvement is to improve the “body” of our soul—its character and personality. But it’s a lot easier to buy a nice suit than to go on a diet.

Besides, who knows—the sight of your soul in a nice suit might be just the thing to motivate you to get its body in shape.

Chassidic teaching refers to our faculties of thought, speech and action as the three “garments” of the soul.

The areas in which we choose to direct our thoughts, the things we say and the manner in which we say them, and the way that we act towards

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Hypocrisy? Certainly. Imagine a world in which everyone acted better, holier and more compassionately than they really are. Perhaps what our world needs is some more hypocrisy.•

By Yanki Tauber

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n the final Torah portion that details the completion of the Mishkan, an expression that describes the accomplishment is repeated over and over. In fact, the descriptive assertion is repeated no less than eighteen times!

I

After the Torah details the completion of each utensil, component, or vestment necessary to finish the Mishkan and begin the service, the Torah uses an expression that declares that they were made "exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe."

Again and again the Torah repeats the expression almost verbatim. First, the Torah uses the expression in a general sense when telling us how the vestments were made: "exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe." Then it is used again when detailing each garment. The Ephod and its garters, "were made exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe;" the Choshen and its stone setting were made "exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe."

V

The same applies to the vessels of the Mishkan.

In addition to a general statement that everything was crafted "exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe," the Torah reiterates the expression of perfect conformity in regard to each of the utensils. This goes on for almost every component of the Mishkan!

Why? Would it not have been enough to begin or end the summary with one proclamation that everything was crafted "exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe"? Why restate it so often?

Rabbi Zev Wilenski, shli”ta, recited that a student of Rabbi Boruch Ber Lebowitz, z"l, had undertaken to transcribe the notes of the revered sage to prepare them for print. This work would eventually be known as the Birkas Shmuel, one of the classic exegetical works on Talmudic Law. As the student reviewed the work, he noticed a seeming redundancy of the titles mentioned about Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soleveitchik, the Brisker Rav who was a son of Rabbi Lebowitz's own teacher Rabbi Chaim Soleveitchik, and revered as well, by Rabbi Lebowitz.

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Each time that Rabbi Lebowitz quoted him, he would preface Rabbi Soleveitchik's name with all due titles and accolades, "the true Gaon, Rebbe and Teacher of all of Israel, The Gaon of Brisk, he should live to see long and good days."

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Even three or four times in one paragraph, Rabbi Lebowitz would repeat the words, each preceded with a slew of praise and reverence, "the true Gaon, Rebbe and Teacher of all of Israel, The Gaon of Brisk, he should live to see long and good days."

He paused. "The same way that I want them to understand the text, I also want them to understand to appreciate the greatness of the Rebbe. I want them to see and understand that Rav Yitzchak Zev is "the true Gaon, Rebbe and Teacher of all of Israel."

The next time that Rabbi Soleveitchik was quoted in the works, the student, in the interest of brevity, decided to leave out the seemingly supplementary appellations. Instead he wrote, My Rebbe, the great sage, Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soleveitchik, shlit"a.

Perhaps the lesson imparted by each and every action of the Mishkan warrants the Torah's declaration of perfect conformity for a generalized statement does not impact as much as reiteration.

Upon reviewing the work, Rabbi Lebowitz was visibly shaken. "Why did you leave off the introductory appellations?

"But, Rebbe,” countered Rabbi Lebowitz's student, "I mentioned them the first time. Must I repeat them every single time?”

Rabbi Lebowitz was dismayed. "Why am I publishing this book?" he asked in true sincerity. "What do I have from it?

Honor? Money? Of course not! I wrote this work so that a student will understand how to learn a Rashba or to understand the Rambam."

The Torah is mindful that just as we hammer the facts of dimensions and specifications into our minds, just as we ponder the intricacies of the cups and flowers of the Menorah, the forms and staves of the Table of Showbread, the various stones of the Choshen and their placement inside their settings, so too there is one detail we must not miss. And this detail applies with a freshness for every Mishkan-related activity: each was exactly as Hashem commanded Moshe.

Rabbi Mordechai Kaminetzky www.torah.org

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A name conveys essence, the soul’s inner significance and purpose. Certainly, the same is true of the names of the Torah portions, and even more so the name of an entire book, especially the name of Sefer Shemos, which is itself named “Names.”

Our own names are not just superficially given to us by our parents. Even when parents put a lot of thought into a name or choose a relative’s name, through what seems to be their simple human choice, the truth is that a name is always given by Hashem. The Ari Z”L teaches that G-d influences the minds of new parents to choose an appropriate name for their child, one that is connected to the nature of the child’s soul.

However, our names are connected to our souls only as they reside within the body, not as they are in heaven prior to descending into the physical world. G-d doesn’t exist for a reason, He just is. In as much as our souls are simply a piece of Hashem from above, our souls are also beyond purpose, and in that sense, we all exist with an absolute existence. In essence, souls are beyond purpose when they are within their source. However, when a neshama descends into the physical world, it’s given a purpose and a mission which is encoded in its name.

Each time a neshama descends into the world, it comes for a different purpose.

For this reason, the very same soul, when it is reincarnated and sent back into the physical world, is given a different name.

Sefer Shemos is the Book of Names, it is therefore the book of purpose. Examining it from this perspective reveals that it describes the purpose of the descent of the soul into the world.

The first words of the book of Shemos are “And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt…” The name Mitzrayim/Egypt is derived from metzar, which means constriction or limitation. The verse

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doesn’t only refer to the Jewish people arriving to the country of Egypt, it’s also describing the transition of the soul from the spiritual realms. In heaven, the soul basks in limitless G-dliness and is free of external desires or distractions; it has full concentration and devotion to Hashem. Suddenly the soul is plucked from this and thrown into the imprisonment of both a physical body and a material dimension.

Sefer Shemos concludes with “For the cloud of Hashem was upon the Mishkan by day, and there was fire within it at night before the eyes of the entire Jewish people, in all their journeys. “ Literally, this is referring to the moment that the Jewish people completed the task of building the Mishkan/Tabernacle and the divine presence came down to reside within it. In the context of the journey of the soul, this describes the purpose of its labors. The purpose of the Jewish peo-

done, that Hashem will be openly revealed throughout the entire world. At that time, there will be a conspicuous divine presence and we will have fulfilled our collective purpose as a people, which includes each individual’s particular role throughout out all of the generations.

Sefer Shemos/The Book of Names describes how we get from the beginning – being placed into the world for a purpose, to the very end - the accomplishment of fully revealing G-dliness within the physical world. The eleven portions of Shemos are the milestones of an eleven step journey through the completion of our mission.

In the portion of Shemos, the soul comes down into the world, just as the Jews enter into the land of Egypt. The soul must get its hands dirty; it must enter into the physical world to have any effect. This is the point where a ne-

A Journey Through Sefer Shemos Vayakel-Pekudei ple, our collective mission, is to bring G-d into the world; we are to make a home for Him in the lower realms.

Of course, G-d is everywhere, but generally, He is hidden to us. We can, in some places, find Him more accessible: at the study hall, in the synagogue, in the Holy Land and even more within the holy city of Jerusalem.

Also, when Jews do mitzvos, they are enveloped in G-dly light; Hashem’s light dwells on the human being. However, we cannot truly see it, and it is therefore not fully manifest or revealed.

This last verse of Sefer Shemos informs us that the purpose of creation will be realized only when G-d is openly revealed throughout the world, “…L’eini B’nai Yisroel to the eyes of the entire Jewish people…”

It is only when Moshiach comes, after we have completed our mission, as a result of all of the mitzvos we have • 323-965-1544 •

shama is named and is connected to a body. G-d calls each soul out from His treasure-house of souls; He names the soul, bestows upon it an oath and sends it into the world to fulfill its mission.

In the early stages of our lives, our mission is practically inaccessible to us.

In our youth, the soul doesn’t have freedom and cannot freely express itself in the body. The soul is imprisoned and subservient to the body, as the Jewish people were enslaved by Pharaoh.

Within the body, each G-dly soul has a necessary partner - an animal soul.

This second spirit, which can be referred to as the ego, is a life force which animates the body and wraps itself around the G-dly soul. It feels at home within the physical, quickly masters the body, and suppresses the neshama.

While the pure neshama’s desires are always selfless and devoted to the service info@communitylinks.info

of G-d, our human thoughts and desires, especially in the early years, are driven by the animal soul, which seeks gratification in material indulgence. As long as a person is busy serving the whims and ambitions of the animal soul, one can’t work to build a home for Hashem.

A person needs to develop a certain level of maturity before he or she can choose to embrace or suppress a whim or an emotion, and therefore, the animal soul dominates in most children until close to the age of Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It is only at that point that the G-dly soul can truly be expressed.

Similarly, in Parshas Shemos the Jewish people build cities for Pharaoh.

Moshe demands that Pharaoh free the people, but he doesn’t want to release them. The Jews toil for him with Chomer/Mortar and Leveinim/Bricks.

Chomer also means materialism. Similarly, in the early stages of life on Earth, the soul is cemented in the physical and not the spiritual. How can the neshama begin to free herself from this slavery to the body and desires for materialism? The first thing is that the neshama needs to wake up from her slumber and make her presence known.

In the portion of VaEra, G-d appeared to Moshe in a new, more powerful way. The Jewish people weren’t yet liberated, and at this point the raging conflict begins. Correspondingly, as teenagers, many of us feel mixed up.

We experience the conflict of our higher, sublime, noble self that is idealistic and ambitious, and the animal soul feels threatened. The animal fights back with renewed vigor and intensity, and war breaks out. Pharaoh was not eager to set his slaves free. The ego is a native, an ancient resident of the body since birth – it must be severely weakened before it will relinquish any control. As long as the ego is spoiled and gets whatever its wants, it feels inflated and entitled to everything, and we can’t

41 F e b r u a r y

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accomplish much.

The seven plagues served to weaken Pharaoh’s hold over the people. Likewise, the Neshama needs to weaken the animal it battles. The Chassidic way is not to break the body by harming it through mortification or pain. Rather, the Chassidic masters explain, by simply not giving in to the pleasures and cravings of the body, the animal will be weakened. For example, by eating healthy (not just what is enjoyable and delightful), by dressing simply (not to attract attention) and by speaking thoughtfully (not to dominate or gain favor over others).

The animal soul is primarily an emotional, impulsive being, while the Neshama is primarily intellectual. As the Jewish mystics elaborate, there are seven primary emotions that make up the human psyche. Just as Pharaoh suffered seven plagues in VaEra, the animal soul needs to be confronted at each of its seven emotional strongholds.

Finally, after the first seven plagues, Pharaoh admits the errors of his ways: “Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘I have sinned this time. G-d is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones.’” After the initial assault, the ego can recognize and even admit the error of its ways. The G-dly soul’s message has finally reached its counterpart.

Pharaoh still doesn’t want to release the Jewish people, and likewise, the animal soul isn’t ready to give up yet, but, progress has been made.

In Bo/Come the Jewish people are finally liberated from slavery and leave the land of Egypt. At this stage, the neshama can finally break the grasp of the animal soul, but the final blows must strike the Animal soul at its core.

It must be forced from its home and provoked to uncoil itself from around the neshama. This is finally accomplished only with G-d’s help.

“G-d said to Moses: ‘Come to • 323-965-1544 •

Pharaoh…’” The Zohar explains that Moshe was terrified to approach Pharaoh in the bowels of the palace.

He knew that it was impossible to escape from so far inside of Pharaoh’s territory. Therefore, G-d didn’t tell him to “go” to Pharaoh, rather, He took Moshe there; he told Moshe to “come” with Him to the heart of the palace.

Moshe had to completely dominate Pharaoh and enter into the heart of the palace, on the Kings own grounds, in the most private, inner chambers of his home.

The ego filters into everything we do, even the good things. Sometimes we have ulterior motives when we give charity or speak words of Torah, and we constantly strive to improve in these areas. Still, there are one or two areas in our lives where the ego is the strongest. We are scared to even attempt rehabilitation. Each of us has a different challenge of this sort, whether its anger, depression, addictions, lusts, cravings, or something else, there is a certain point in our lives when we need to confront our demons face to face, and destroy them. The lesson of Bo is that after we have done our best, Hashem will help us take those final steps.

“Beshalach/…when Pharaoh let the people go...” The cage bursts open and the soul is liberated from her entrapment. She spreads her wings and soars!

The soul is on fire; all she wants is to indulge in spirituality. She is happy to escape the body and permanently turn away from all materialistic things.

Almost immediately, the Jewish people plunge into the sea. On dry land, a state which represents the materialistic world, creatures live independently and do as they please. There is no visibly higher authority which the creatures must submit to. Mystically, the sea represents a world that is fully conscious of its life source - the water - which dictates where and how its inhabitants live, and gives life to them. The Jewish info@communitylinks.info

people were in the ultimate mikva, swimming in G-dliness.

Also, while deprived by ego, the neshama starves for spirituality. It wants to satiate its hunger and quench its thirst for G-dliness. In Beshalach G-d sends the Jewish people the finest spiritual sustenance: manna from heaven and pure water from the spring of Miriam.

In the sea, they experienced the divine light of the higher worlds, but it’s not the experience of G-d Himself.

The neshama, however, knows what it wants; it craves to connect directly with Hashem. For 49 days the Jews marched to Mt. Sinai with breathless anticipation, to consummate their new relationship with G-d, but the people were astonished when they arrived and were not allowed to ascend or even touch the mountain. They expected G-d to reveal the ultimate esoteric secrets of creation, and instead they heard “I am the Lord your G-d, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

After the awakening, the rush and excitement to return to G-d and the barely manageable desire to merge with Him, we discover that the purpose of life is not to live detached from Earth, within the esoteric realms, but to live down here, within the mundane. Heaven is filled with light and doesn’t need any more; our place is not there, where we started. The neshama makes an impact in the physical world, by sublimating it and elevating it to ultimately bring heaven down to earth.

So, the neshama must turn around and re-enter the physical, mundane world of Egypt. Earlier, however, the neshama was there on the terms of the body, Pharaoh’s terms, now we return on our G-dly terms, with our animal at bay. Now we can truly begin to increase the light in the world. This is the lesson of Yisro, a name connected to “adding” or “increasing.”

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The first step of bringing Hashem into the world is for us to fully bring Hashem into ourselves. Although emunah/faith is a greater and higher accomplishment, the mind also must become receptive to G-d.

Mishpatim/Laws refers to a unique class of mitzvah, those which are rational, or logical, unlike chukim, which are super-rational. One can’t change or affect the external without first changing the internal self, and we start with the highest self – the intellect. By studying and understanding the mishpatim we can galvanize ourselves to work on the external world through refinement of the mind and character.

Terumah/Lift and Tetzaveh/Connect begin the Neshama’s work on the outside world. The Jewish people receive the instructions for building the Mishkan/Tabernacle, which is G-d’s ultimate earthly destination.

The mishkan is built it from all types of physical substances, they elevated all types of matter in its construction: inanimate, vegetative and animal. In our lives we must lift all of our possessions and everyday activities by constantly bringing to mind their G-dly purpose. We don’t eat, shop or do business because we enjoy them for personal or selfish motives, we do these things so we can serve Hashem, and do His mitzvos. We elevate even typically mundane things and activities to G-dly levels.

Still, our arms can only reach a certain height. Once we lift something with our own efforts, as high as we can, there isn’t much more we can do.

To truly transform something to facilitate G-dliness requires a connection with Hashem Himself. He has to insert Himself into the mishkan that we are building.

Parshas Tetzaveh is connected to Mitzvah for this reason. A mitzvah is a physical act, but our physical efforts are secondary. The true power of a mitzvah comes from the fact that it’s • 323-965-1544 •

a divine commandment, and that a G-dly transmission comes down to meet our efforts. Through a mitzvah, we connect things with Hashem far more then when we just keep in mind our G-dly purpose by doing mundane things L’Shem Shomayim/For The Sake of Heaven.

Suddenly, in Parshas Ki Sisa, the Jews messed up and built a golden calf. Even these holy people, the most enlightened souls - who just passed through the Red Sea and stood face to face with G-d were susceptible. We must always bear in mind the danger of getting involved with physicality because materialism can easily drag a person down. Instead of using the gold or other materials of the world to make a home for Hashem we can very easily start worshiping the gold itself.

Why did G-d construct the world with so many hazards and pitfalls, especially after we have come so far?

These challenges are what make us stronger. When we overcome them, as we are supposed to, we are strengthening ourselves. If G-d forbid, we fail, we will suffer, but we attain the possibility of teshuva.

Our sages tell us that us that a baal teshuva stands in a place even higher than the saintliest tzaddikim. Through the separation caused by sin, the baal teshuva yearns to reconnect with a passion more powerful and unlike anything experienced prior, and, when the neshama truly returns to Hashem, it transforms and brings along even its prior mistakes – now merits. We mustn’t engage with what is dangerous and forbidden, but, if we do, together with the fall, we gain the opportunity to rise far above where we were before. This is “Ki Sisa/When you raise the heads of the people..." Now, after everything that has happened, we stand higher.

Terumah and Tetzaveh contain G-d’s instructions, the theoretical mishkan. We often know what we are info@communitylinks.info

supposed to do, but fail to materialize our thoughts and feelings into actions. Now, we must implement what we study into our lives. In Parshas Vayakhel, which literally means gather, Moshe assembles the people and they start the actual construction of the mishkan. While we each do our part, we need to bear in mind that our overall mission is the same, and we are all one people. Sometimes we feel that our work is superior to that of others. The mishkan can only be built when we gather together as a complete people – when we respect and support the tasks and challenges of every one of our fellows.

Finally, in Pikudei/counting, the work is complete. Moshe accounted for all of the components of the house of G-d and the contributions of every single person. Every single Jew

of every generation has made a significant contribution to Gd’s creation, and we are always one step closer completing the task.

Pikudei also means intimacy. Our job isn’t over until Hashem joins us in this world and enters into the home we have built for Him. Until we can literally and intimately experience and see G-d invested in our work, we are not truly one with Him. May our task be completely fulfilled, speedily, in our days, where soon G-d will come and join his bride, the Jewish People, and our souls become completely one with him, inseparable forever.

Excerpt from "The Parsha In My Life" class by Rabbi Reuven Wolf.

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February 25, 2011

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Parenting With Wisdom What do I do when my child (fill in your least acceptable behavior)?

Take the best parenting class in town to learn how to deal with misbehavior, discouragement and poor school performance. In addition, acquire all the skills necessary to raise confident, independent, and responsible children. Appropriate for ages 0-5, 6-11, and teens. Individual or group sessions. Affordable. Call Irine Schweitzer, LCSW for more information, www.parentingbyirine.com

A Time for Dance A TIME FOR DANCE SUMMER ARTS EXPERIENCE - A REGGIO INSPIRED FINE ARTS CAMP June 27- August 11th.

Preschool division boys and girls ages 3-5.

Performing arts division girls 5-12.

Performing arts, fine arts, culinary arts, swimming, trips in a warm and individualized environment.

GIVE YOUR CHILD AN ENRICHING SUMMER TO REMEMBER! #766 (323) 404-0827 www.atime4dance.com

REAL ESTATE

@ 818 754-4501. -1548784

CAREER TRAINING PROGRAMS Are you Unemployed and collecting Unemployment Benefits? FULL Financial Aid is available to unemployed individuals. Receive career training at NO COST to YOU. These funds are available through President Obama’s Economic Stimulus Package. Act now while funds are available. Los Angeles ORT Technical Institute has several Nationally Accredited Career Training Programs.

Please call 323-966-5444. Ask for Flora or Jesse. www.LAORT.edu

FOR RENT Pico/Robertson area.

Close to shopping and grocery stores. Walking distance to many synagogues. The apartment has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom has two closets and a built-in desk and mirror. There is ample storage space, including a closet off of the living room, and a closet and shelves in the hallway. The Kitchen has a refrigerator, oven, stove, and dishwasher.

There is A/C. Hardwood floors. Lots of light during the day. $1750 a month. 310 613 6562

800.998.2678

# 1523.9326

info@communitylinks.info

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

FOR RENT Luxury Condo for Lease.

Wall to wall exotic bamboo hardwood flooring, Granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, alarm system, large walkin closets, lots of storage space, double entry doors, washer and dryer in the unit. Security parking and entrances, elevator, garbage shoot, and a fitness room.

Call Daniel @ (310) 925 - 9972 #1404

Beautiful bright master suite with bath in Beverlywood. Available for rent $950 per month.

Ladies only. Must be dog friendly. Call Donna #1932 310-291-9104

#1737

Charming Guest House with private patio, furnished, Kosher kitchenette & private bathroom on Olymipic & La Jolla.Month to month contractwith month security. No smoking, no pets, References please. Call David at Home: 323-934-4826.

Cell: 323-687-4154

Looking for apartment or backhouse. Single bochur. Contact Levi 949 246 7046

Guest House available for rent in Encino.

Newly remodeled, stainless steel refrigerator & oven, flat screen TV, utilities incl. $800 monthly. Call Sharon #1987 818-917-9579

GUEST HOUSE Guesthouse March 01, 2011. Bright, airy and private.Pool and garden view with a south and west facing balcony. Large studio, full bath, small new kitchen.

Quiet, lots of bird song, New carpet and A/C.Contact Esther (323) 595-1616 #1991

49

APT FOR RENT 10535 Wilshire Blvd 16th Flr. 2Br 2Ba Condo 1100SF Pool, Tenis,Parking, Exercise, Guard.

Avail Next Month $2500/mo 888-360-3337 orna@orna.com

GUEST HOUSE

APARTMENT OR BACK HOUSE WANTED

GUEST HOUSE

REAL ESTATE

LOWEST MORTGAGE RATES

LOWEST MORTGAGE RATES 15 years fixed conf.

3.875% APR 30 years fixed conf.

4.250% APR www.adiscountmortgage.com

N.R.C.C. www.ORNA.com 888-360-3337 orna@orna.com

#1737

February 25, 2011

EMPLOYMENT

March 4, 2011

BABYSITTER AVAILABLE

Orthodox woman available to watch your children full time or part-time hours, at your location. Excellent references. 323-651-9389 #1750

March 11, 2011

FIDELITY PAYMENTS Join the national sales force of Fidelity Payment Services, one of the largest payment processors in North America.

Earn lifetime residual commissions.

Capitalize on the invaluable potential of your business contacts. Full training and support.

Call: 718-782-2823 x 216

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Marketing Sales Associates Needed Publications Seeking English, Farsi and Hebrew speaking experienced marketing sales associates for growing Jewish publications in the San Fernando Valley. Knowledge of Jewish customs required.

Commission based. Please send resume to: sel5034@gmail.com • 323-965-1544 •

info@communitylinks.info

Dining Guide Listing Please Call 323-965-1544 MEAT Afshan Restaurant RCC 106 W. 9th St. LA, (213) 622-1010 Bocca Steakhouse RCC 16610 Ventura. Encino, 91436 (818) 905-5855 Café Del Mar Meat Kehila 12526 Burbank Blvd. N.H. 91607 (818) 487-8171 Chic N Chow Kehila 9301 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 274-5595 Chinese and Kabob Kehila 9180 Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 274-4007 Cohen’s Restaurant RCC 316 E Pico Blvd # F LA, CA 90015 (213) 742-8888 Elat Burger Ben Zaken 9340 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 278-4692 Elite Cuisine RCC 7119 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90036 (323) 930-1303 Shawarma Express Kehila 5577 Reseda Blvd. Tarzana, 9135 (818) 342-2226 Glatt Hut RCC 9303 W. Pico Blvd. 90035 (310) 246-1900 Golan RCC 13075 Victory Blvd. N. H, 91606 (818) 763-5344 Got Kosher? RCC 8914 W. Pico Blvd. 90035 (310) 858-1920 Habayit Bukspan 11921 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90064 (310) 479-5444 Haifa Ben Zaken 8717 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 888-7700

Jeffs Gourmet Kehila 8930 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 858-8590 La Gondola Kehila 9025 Wilshire Blvd. BH, 90211 (310) 247-1239

50

February 25, 2011

La Glatt RCC 446 Fairfax Ave. LA, 90036 (323) 658-7730

DINING GUIDE Tierra Sur at Herzog Winery 3201 Camino DelSol Oxnard (818) 752-6866

La Seine 14 N. La Cienega Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310 358 0922

ou

DAIRY 26 By Shilo’s Kehila 8657 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310)246-1326

Mashu Mashu RCC 12510 Burbank Blvd. 91607 (818)752-ASIA (2742)

Beverly Cafe Elite RCC 7113 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90035 (323) 931-3563

Metro Glatt RCC 8975 W. Pico Blvd. 90035 (310) 275-4420 Nagilla Meating Place Kehila 9407 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 788-0119 Orange Delight Kehila 13628 Ventura Blvd. SO, 91423 (818) 788-9896 Pats Kehila 9233 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 205-8705 Pico Kosher Deli RCC 8826 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 273-9381 Pita Way RCC 8532 Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 652-5236 Sassis Kehila 15622 Ventura, Encino, 91436 (818) 986-5345 Schwartz Bakery and Deli RCC 433 N. Fairfax Avenue, LA, 90036 (323)653-1941 Shanghai Kehila 9401 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 553-0998

Bibis Warmstone Kehila 8928 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 246-1788 Bramis Pizza

RCC

(818) 342-0611 Café Del Mar Dairy Kehila 12526 Burbank Blvd. N.H. 91607 (818) 487-8171 Circa RCC 8622 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles (310) 854-0592 Delice Kehila 8583 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 289-6556 Fish Grill Kehila 7226 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90036 (323) 937-7162 12013 Wilshire Blvd. LA, 90025 (310) 479-1800 9618 W. Pico Blvd. 90035 (310) 860-1182 22935 Pacific Coast Highway (310) 456-8585 17942 Ventura Blvd. Encino, CA 91316

(818) 758-9595 La Brea Bagel Kehilla 7308 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90036 (323) 965-1287

Subway Kehila 8948 W Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 274-1222

La Pizza Rabbi Furst 12515 Burbank Blvd. N.H, 91607 (818) 760-8198

Schnitzle Kehila 9216 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 786-8282

Milk N Honey RCC 8837 West Pico Blvd LA, 90035 (310) 858-8850

Temptation Grill Kehila 17547 Ventura B. Encino, 91316 (818) 995-4700 The Meating Place KCA 30313 Canwood St. AH, 91301 (818) 706-1255

Pacific Pizza RCC - Cholov Yisroel & Pas Yisroel 12460 Oxnard St. N. Hollywood (818) 760-0087 Pico Cafe Kehila 8944 W Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310)385-9592 Pizza Maven Kehila 140 North La Brea Blvd. 90036 (323) 857-0353 Pizza Nosh Rabbi Ami Markel 30313 Canwood St. A.H. 91301 (818) 991-3000

17736 ShermanWay, Reseda 91326

Jerusalem Pizza Kehila

Shilohs Kehila 8939 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 858-1652

(310) 788-0111 Nana Cafe RCC 1509 S Robertson Blvd.

(310) 407-0404

Pizza Station Kehila 8965 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 276-8708 Pizza World Kehila 365 Fairfax Ave. LA, 90036 (323) 653-2896 Sassis Sushi Kehila 16550 Ventura, Encino, 91436 (818) 783-2727 Shalom Pizza RCC 8715 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 271-2255 Unique Cafe Rabbi Aron Simkin 18381 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana (818) 757-3100

PAREVE HUMMUS KING Kehilla 12422 BURBANK BLVD. VALLEY VILLAGE 91607 818.509.7999 Fish In The Village RCC 12450 Burbank Blvd. N.H, 91607 (818) 769-0085 Le Sushi RCC 12524 Burbank Blvd N.H. 91607 (818) 763-6600 SushiKo RCC 9340 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 274-3474

Milky Way Kehila 9108 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 859-0004 Nagilla Pizza Kehila 9411 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035

• 323-965-1544 •

info@communitylinks.info

H at a t z o l a h o f Lo Los Angeles Celebrating C eelebrating a 10 yyears eears of p providing rooviding v eme emergency rgency g se services rvices v to the Los A Angeles ngelles community

proudly p roudly honors

Mr. Ale Alex ex Friedman Friedma an

Dr. & Mr Mrs. rs.

Martin Ma rtin K Kay ay

Rabbi & Mrs. M Uri Mand Mandelbaum delbau um

for donating donatiing the first three threee ambulances ambulan nces to Hatzolah.

Hat atzolah.

KEYNOTE KEYN OTE ADDRESS A

BY Malcolm Malcolm I. Hoenlein Hoenlein Executive V iice Chai rman of the Confe rence e of Presidents Presidents e Maajor A merican n Jewish Jewish e Organizations Executive Vice Chairman Conference off Major American Organizations WITH A spe special ecial presen presentation tation t to to Commissioner Joseph Joseph Farrow Farrrow Califo a rnia Com mmissioner of C aalifornia Highway Hiighw way Patrol Paattrol o California Commissioner California

Tuesday, T uesda u ay, M March arch 1, 2011 | P 6:30 p.m. p Program rogram at 7:30 7 p.m.

N Neman eman nH Hall all 1317 N. N Crescent Crescent Heights Heights Blvd.

Blvd.

W est e H ollywood CA 90046 ollywood, West Hollywood,

For F or o mo more re information in nformation about the dinner diinner or to RSV RSVP, VP, please call 323-937-0980, email dinner@hatzolahofla.org, dinneer@hattzolahofla.org, g orr visit www.hatzolahofla.org. www..hattzolahofla a.org. g