Bereishit 5777

In loving memory of Simon Rothburn z”l Shimon Zvi ben Menachem Mendel z”l

Service Times

g n i h t e Som e n o y r e v for E

Parshat Bereshit

Shabbat (Mevarchim) Kabbalat Shabbat

17:25

(Candle Lighting)

17:25

Shacharit

09:00

Leining

10:00

Mincha followed by Seudah & Ma’ariv

17:20

Shabbat Ends

18:33

26 Tishrei 5777 28 October 2016

Security team: Green

Weekday

Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz

Leining

Haftarah

2 2 2

1130 1372 21

Shacharit

Ma’ariv

Sun

09:00

19:30

Mon

07:00

19:30

Tues*

06:45

19:30

Wed*

06:45

19:30

Thurs

07:00

19:30

Fri

07:00

16:10

Studies tell us that spending too much

the other hand, is an awareness of one’s

16:10**

time on the internet can make you anti-

uniqueness.

social. We trust, of course, that our com-

A lonely person, even when surrounded by

munity e-letter has the opposite effect,

friends, feels that his unique experiences

inspiring you to increase your involvement

separate him from others. This existential

in the activities of our Kehilla.

loneliness is what forces us to commune

Candle Lighting

* Rosh Chodesh ** Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

Chayim Arukim

to Steven Forster on the loss of his father, to Mark Mattison on the loss of his brother, Naomi Wright on the loss of her mother, and to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows

d"sb

Louise Kaye Kitty Joseph Andrea Flax Michelle Green

Mother Husband Father Father

Mark Davies Joy Polak

Father Father

1 November 30 Tishrei

Debbie Hilton

Father

Wed

Norman Luft Reuben Berg Stuart Marks Carol Marks

Father Father Father Husband

3 November 2 Cheshvan

Jill Silver

Father

Fri

Michael Rappaport Mother Gordon Rosenthal Father Eliott Cohen Mother

‫שבת‬

Ronald Polak Tessa Frieslander

Sun

30 October 28 Tishrei

Mon

31 October 29 Tishrei

Tues

2 November 1 Cheshvan

Thurs

4 November 3 Cheshvan

5 November 4 Cheshvan

Father Father

Thought For The Week It Takes Two

with our Creator by opening our hearts Jews need to connect themselves. Other

and praying to the One who truly under-

religions may encourage lone meditation

stands us.

and seclusion, but Judaism requires us to gather together to daven, to help one

Jewish life is about striking the bal-

another, and to build community. Many

ance between communing with Hashem

of our mitzvot are impossible to fulfil in

and playing our part in the community.

isolation. As Hashem said – in this week’s

Knowing when it is not appropriate to talk

parasha - before He created the second

in Shule, how best to comfort a mourner,

person, Eve, “It is not good for man to be

or who would appreciate a phone call or

alone”.

a Shabbat invitation – it’s a constant balancing act that I’m sure we in Hale can

In his essay “The Lonely Man of Faith”, Rav alone and being lonely. Aloneness means

29 October Unsponsored

lacking love and friendship; this is an

12 November The Woolf Family

Rabbi Joel Portnoy

Soloveitchik distinguishes between being

Kiddushim 5 November Unsponsored

achieve.

entirely destructive feeling. Loneliness, on

Shabbat Weather AM Partly Cloudy 14o High 9o Overnight Low

Parsha

verview

First Aliyah - 34 verses The account of creation.

Day 1: Light and dark Day 2: Heavens and firmament Day 3: Land and seas Day 4: Sun, moon and stars Day 5: Fish, insects and birds Day 6: Land animals and humans Day 7: Shabbat Second Aliyah - 16 verses Restatement of creation, focusing on Gan Eden, the formation of Adam, Adam’s dominance over nature, and his first prohibition: eating from the Tree of Knowledge - Good and Evil.

Third Aliyah - 27 verses The serpent entices Eve to eat from the Tree, followed by Adam.

They are punished along with the serpent.

Fourth Aliyah - 21 verses Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, prompting a redefinition of Man’s role in this world and their (our) relationship with G-d. Kayin and Hevel are born, Kayin kills Hevel. Kayin is punished, and his lineage is presented.

Fifth Aliyah - 8 verses Torah mentions more descendants of Kayin and the skills that they introduced to the world.

Sixth Aliyah - 24 verses The lineage from Adam through Sheit to Noach is presented, with the age of the father at birth, and each person’s age at his death. These numbers help us construct the first part of our timeline. Although many sons and dauvghters are born, only one representative of each generation is named. Adam lived for 930 years and then died.

Seventh Aliyah - 16 verses The lineage continues to describe the birth of Noah, and his sons Shem, Cham and Yefet. The parsha concludes with the world deteriorating morally, and G-d’s decision to destroy the world and save Noah.

reshit Parshat Be years, 6 3 5 covers 1, rld is and the wo 6 only 5,77 years old!

S L E W

JE

M S I DA

U J F O

Delve into the deeper side of Judaism Rabbi Aharon Bloch reveals the significance of Adam & Eve’s mistake in the Garden

Before And After A defining moment in human history takes place in this week’s Torah portion when Eve and Adam consume fruit from the “tree of knowledge of good and bad.” This was a betrayal of G-d’s commandment to them. In the beginning of his work “The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonidies raises an the all-important contradiction.

On the one hand, the Torah relates that the consequences of eating the fruit of the tree were calamitous: Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, and death and pain became the plight of human life on earth. Yet on the other hand a great benefit was bestowed on the human race. By consuming fruit from the “tree of knowledge”, Adam and Eve actually acquired unprecedented awareness and knowledge of “good and bad.” This served as the serpent’s chief argument employed to entice Eve to eat the fruit; “G-d knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like G-d, knowing good and bad.”

Maimonidies contends

that the sin committed

by Eve and Adam was a tremendous blessing, not a curse. It liberated them from the status of mere animals acting on instinct.

Now they became rational, discerning creatures who could discern good from evil and live a life in accordance with that knowledge and wisdom.

Maimonidies’ explanation bears special relevance to our highly sophisticated Our job in this world is to reverse the process of sacrificing ethics for the sake of aesthetics. and knowledgeable generation.

Before the sin, there was only truth and the opposite of truth. After Adam ate from the tree, the result was “pleasurable” and “not pleasurable” “Good” or “Bad”. Prior to the sin, the prism used by man to classify cravings, events and ideas was whether they were false or true. If they were true he embraced them; if they were false, he rejected them.

After the sin, the primary yardstick became whether something is good or bad, not true or false. A good business, good food, a good speech, a good school, a good day do not necessarily mean a truthful business, healthy food, an honest speech, a moral school and an honest day.

We often gravitate and pursue that which looks and feels good, even though it may be wrong and false.

Before the sin, the primary question in life would have been, “Am I doing the right thing?” Now, the defining question has become, “Am I doing the comfortable thing?” Our job in this world is to reverse the process of sacrificing ethics for the sake of aesthetics. We need to restore the vocabulary of humanity to its original form.

Before making any decision in life, ask not “Is this the comfortable path?”

Instead ask, “Is this the right path?”

Based on the teachings of Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson

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

SHABBAT

Parsha Stats Bereshit is the 1st of 54 sedras

In two weeks time Jews from all around the world will join together for one memorable Shabbat

1st of 12 in Bereshit Written on 241 lines in a Torah (ranks 9th) 146 verses - ranks 8th (5th in Bereshit) 1931 words - ranks 8th (5th in Bereshit)

Here is a taster of what is happening in Hale that weekend

7235 letters - ranks 11th (5th in Bereshit)

Did You Know There is only one (positive) mitzvah mentioned this week (“Be fruitful and multiply”).

The oldest man in the world, whose age is written explicitly in the Torah, was Metushelach (969 years).

Tip #1 Constant Presence

TEFILLAH TIPS

The most essential rule for improving concentration is to keep in mind the verse (Psalms 16:8) “Shiviti Hashem Lenegdi Tamid” - I have placed G-d before me constantly. At all times throughout the day, not just during prayer, we are required to keep in mind that we are in the presence of Hashem.

Throughout your davening today, try and think about to whom you are praying. The King of Kings is sitting in front of you on his Heavenly Throne, ready and waiting to hear what you have to say. In the same way we are careful not to mumble our words in conversation, we should be careful to articulate our prayers with great attention.

Adam was supposed to live for 1000 years. Hashem showed him all the future generations to be born. When Adam saw that King David should have died at birth, he gave him 70 years of his life.

King David lived to the age of 70, and Adam lived for 930 years.

Just For Fun Question: How do we know that cricket was created on the first day?

Answer: Because the Torah says “In the Big Inning!”

2

KING AHEAD

L YOUTH

In The Spotlight Cross Communal Go Karting

EDUCATION

During Sukkot over 20 children from the South Manchester Shuls; Hale, Bowdon, Shaare Hayim and Cheadle, joined together for a special Chol Hamoed trip to Daytona Go Karting.

This was one of several initiatives to work with the other communities. Joint endeavours are crucial to the continued success of our community. Other opportunities during the year will include programmes over Shabbat UK, a joint Chanukah event, the annual Bournemouth Shabbaton, and regular social programmes for the children in their Bar and Bat Mitzvah year.

Mazaltov to Tracy & Martin Polak, and Joy & Ronnie Polak on Natasha’s forthcoming marriage to David Jacobs.

Ginni & Jonathan Steinberg, Lady Beryl Steinberg, and to Alain de Botton on Leoni’s forthcoming marriage to Rafi Lewis.

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

Nicola & Simon Fine and to Leila Spiro on Hannah’s forthcoming marriage to Dovi Sher.