Sponsored in loving memory of Samantha Labaton z”l Esther bat Eliezer z”l
Service Times
g n i h t e Som e n o y r e v for E
Parshat Bechukotai
Shabbat (Mevarchim) Kabbalat Shabbat
19:30
(Candle Lighting)
19:50
Shacharit
09:15
Leining
10:15
Café Tefilla with Rabbi Aharon
11:15
Mincha, Seudah & Ma’ariv
21:35
Shabbat terminates
22:46
Weekday Shacharit
Mincha & Ma’ariv
Sun
09:00
19:30
Mon
07:00
19:30
Tues*
06:45
19:30
Wed
07:00
19:30
Thur
07:00
19:30
Fri
07:00
19:30**
26 Iyar 5776 3 June 2016
Security team: Blue
427June Iyar Sun
5 June 28 Iyar
Mon
Luise Ross
Father
views our relationship.
invest effort into them. Meaningful friendships and marriages do not just continue
cant contributors, and without them, the relationship will stagnate and atrophy. Sometimes, even if several areas of the relationship are failing, a relationship can be worth saving, as long as there is a gen-
Audrey Rothburn
Mother
eral awareness that there is a relationship
Tues
Stephen Lentin Ella Lentin Michael Jacobs
Sister Daughter Father
to be saved.
Michael Green
Father
ent. In this week’s parsha, Hashem makes
Thurs
9 June 3 Sivan
Fri
10 June 4 Sivan
שבת
11 June 5 Sivan
Lady Steinberg
Mother
Sandra Jaffa
Father
Kiddushim
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tionships to grow, we must constantly
6 June 29 Iyar 7 June 1 Sivan
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because we lose sight of how Hashem
compromise and sacrifice are all signifi-
Father Daughter Father
Haftarah
We can all appreciate that for our rela-
Chayim Arukim
Freda Freedman Luis & Tracy Labaton Shirley Horwich
Leining
Making The Investment
without input. Attention, appreciation,
to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows
Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz
Thought For The Week
* Rosh Chodesh ** Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
שבת
d"sb
Our relationship with Hashem is no differseveral promises of rewards if we invest in the relationship, through the learning of Torah and the performance of Mitzvot. However, the bulk of the parsha contains all the ‘curses’ that will befall the Jewish
The Torah explicitly refers to our ‘casual’ approach to Hashem and His mitzvot as the cause of the punishments listed. This is because a relationship is only worth saving if both sides are invested in saving it. If a spouse takes a laissez-faire attitude to the things that need addressing, then something as small as a stray sock left on the floor, could lead to a nuclear meltdown! If we could only understand the significance of the relationship that Hashem wishes to have with His People, and the pleasures which He is desperate to confer on us, then we would never allow ourselves to become apathetic and detached from our Judaism.
Rabbi Nick Kett
4 June Caroline & Charles Levine
People if we do not invest in the relation-
11 June Unsponsored
ship. It is uncomfortable and disconcert-
Shabbat Weather
ing for us to view our actions as directly
AM Rainy
leading to pain and suffering, but that is
22o High
18 June Antony & Nadine Wagman
9o Overnight Low
Parsha
verview
First Aliyah - 3 verses We are promised incredible blessing if we diligently study Torah and observe the mitzvot. The blessings include plentiful food, timely rain, and security. Second Aliyah - 4 verses More blessings: Peace in the land, the elimination of wild animals from the land, and incredible military success. Third Aliyah - 37 verses Mentions even more blessings, such as an overabundance of crops. This section then describes the severe, terrifying punishments which will befall the Jews if they reject G-d’s mitzvot. The punishments include disease, famine, enemy occupation, exile, and desolation of the land. Next, G-d promises never to utterly forsake us even when we are in exile. Fourth Aliyah - 15 verses Discusses various pledges to the Temple coffers. A person can pledge the value of an individual, which varies depending on their gender and age. An animal and a house can be pledged to the Temple, and can also be redeemed. Fifth Aliyah - 6 verses This section discusses the endowment of land to the Temple. If the owner chooses not to redeem it, it may be redeemed by anybody. In this event, or if the land remains unredeemed, the land becomes the property of the priests during the next Jubilee year. Sixth Aliyah - 7 verses Land which was consecrated by can also be redeemed, but it reverts to its original owner when the Jubilee arrives. Firstborn livestock are sacrificed, and their flesh is consumed by the priests. A person can dedicate and consecrate any of his belongings specifically for the use of the priests. Seventh Aliyah - 6 verses The “Second Tithe” and the animal tithe are discussed. Every tenth animal is offered as a sacrifice, and the meat consumed by its owners.
the The portion of quieter ‘curses’ is read of the than the rest feel so parsha, since we could ashamed that we deserve these punishments.
S L E W
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M S I DA
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Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we examine the physical and spiritual blessings that await faithful followers
The Best of Times If we fulfill the Torah, Hashem promises blissful, fruit-producing rain. This is the first bleessing because rain determines the quality of the crop as well as the climate of the land which affects people’s health.
The Torah predicts that only the Land of Israel will be blessed with rain whereas the surrounding lands will suffer from drought and famine. They will therefore be forced to buy produce from the Jews.
If the Jews do need to fight battles in other lands, we need not muster large armies. Five of the weakest Jews will put a hundred enemies to flee, and a hundred of the weakest Jews will defeat ten thousand.
The Torah declares that the rains will fall “in their proper time”. What is meant by this?
Hashem also assures the Jews that their fulfilling the Torah causes the earth to be fertile, and will yield an abundance of crops. Farmers will be constantly oc-
From this verse it is evident that the merit of a large congregation which serves Hashem is improportionally greater than that of a small one. If the figure was directly proportional, then five Jews chasing one hundred (1:20), would result in one hundred Jews chasing 2,000 enemies. However, the Torah teaches that their spiritual power grows immeasurably beyond normal proportions. The impact created by an assembly of a one hundred Torah observant Jews is so tremendous that it puts to flight ten thousand foes.
1. Rain will fall at times of the year when it is needed for the produce to grow. There will be ample spring rain in Nissan and autumn rain in Marcheshvan. Both the spring and the autumn rains will be purely beneficial; the spring rain will not make the fruits soggy or flood the ground, and the autumn rain will not demolish the houses or trees. 2. Rain will fall at times when people are not inconvenienced by it becuase they are usually indoors. It will rain only at night, in particular, on Wednesday nights (when harmful spiritual agents roam outdoors in the dark) and Friday nights when families are gathered in their homes around the Shabbat table.
Rain will fall at times of the year when it is needed for the produce to grow. cupied with the constant planting and harvesting cycles. Additionally, Hashem assures that peace will reign in the Land of Israel, allowing for the enjoyment of all the other blessings. Wild beasts will be harmless in Israel, just as they were before Adam sinned. This includes all harmful powers, even nations of the world, who will no longer afflict the Jewish People.
The final blessing is the spiritual guarantee that the Shechina will dwell in our midst, and His Glory will be revealed for everyone to see.. Based on ‘The Midrash Says’ by Rabbi M. Weiss
If you would like to share your words of wisdom, please submit your article of no more than 500 words to nick@hale-community.org.uk
Parsha Stats Bechukotai is the 33rd of 54 sedras 10th of 10 in Vayikra Written on 131 lines in a Torah 78 verses - ranks 46th (7th in Vayikra) 1013 words - ranks 47th (7th in Vayikra) 3992 letters - ranks 47th (7th in Vayikra)
Did You Know 4th AL NU AN
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FAMILY Y A D N FU
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SAVE THE DATE! FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT RABBI NICK
LY U J 17 Y M A P D 0 N SU 00-4.0 1.
Read through the Parsha in English and find answers to the questions. LOLLIPOPS WILL BE AWARDED TO ANYONE WHO READS THROUGH IT, AND TELLS RABBI NICK THE CORRECT ANSWERS!
How many people will one hundred people pursue? How many separate series of curses could befall the Jewish People? How many curses are mentioned in each series? Who has a consecration value of 30 shekels? What is the consecration value of a 70-year old man? What does the Torah say causes the escalation of the different curses?
This week’s parsha mentions 12 of the 613 mitzvot. 7 are positive mitzvot, and 5 are prohibitions. Even though the book of Vayikra is the smallest of the five, it contains the greatest number of mitzvot (247). The third portion of this week’s parsha is the longest third portion in the whole of the Torah. Since this week’s parsha contains the curses, we always read Bechukotai just before Shavuot, in order that these messages are fresh in our mind when we come to celebrating the receiving of the Torah. Whenever the Torah mentions the concept of ‘paying an extra fifth’, it is calculated by adding a quarter of the original value, such that there are now 5 equal quarters (i.e.a fifth!).
Just For Fun Question: What kind of man was Boaz before he got married? Answer: Ruth-less!
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 1. Anybody. 2. The slaves are freed. 3. It is restored to its original owner. 4. Because they are servants to G-d. 5. Stone. BONUS: 14.
L SHAVUOT
KING AHEAD EDUCATION
In The Spotlight Shavuot 2016 There is such a special atmosphere in Hale over Shavuot. On Shabbat 11th June, there will be a communal pre-Yom Tov seudah programme, which will lead into the ‘Tikun Leil’ all-nighter; a series of talks and discussions, boosted by cheesecake and Red Bull, designed to nourish the body as well as the mind. First Day Shavuot focuses mainly on the younger generation, with a special reading of the Ten Commandments (in fancy dress!) and a bumper Ice Cream ‘KID’dush! This is followed by the Pram & Buggy Kiddush at the Portnoys, for families with young children, and their grandparents. Later in the afternoon, there will be a special reading of Megillat Ruth for women and girls by Ava Lewis, in celebration of her becoming Bat Mitzvah.
BEYOND HALE
After Shule on Second Day, the Sallons will be hosting the annual Ladies Guild BBQ for the whole community, which is always enjoyable. Details of all these events will be distributed over the next week.
Mazaltov to Caroline & Charles Levine on the occasion of Adam’s aufruf and forthcoming marriage to Natalie Gardner. Adam & Janice Wiseberg on the birth of a granddaughter
If you would like to sponsor an edition of ‘Something For Everyone’, in honour of a simcha or for a yahrzeit, or for any reason, please contact the Shule office on 0161 980 8846 or admin@hale-community.org.uk
David & Jennifer Zucker on the birth of a granddaughter, a daughter to Dalia & Rob. David, Neil & Beverley Rosenthal on David’s engagement to Daniella Pash.