Ki Tavo 5777

Sponsored in loving memory of Greta Ridgeway z”l Gittel bat R’ Mordechai Gershon z”l

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Parshat Ki Tavo

17 Ellul 5777 8 September 2017

Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat

19:00

(Candle Lighting)

19:00

Shacharit

09:15

Leining

10:15

Mincha followed by Seudah & Ma’ariv

19:15

Shabbat Ends

20:29

Weekday Shacharit

Mincha & Ma’ariv

Sun

09:00

19:30

Mon

07:00

19:30

Tues

07:00

19:30

Wed

07:00

Thur Fri

Security team: Blue

Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz

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Haftarah

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1201 1478 874

Thought For The Week Don’t Do Me Any Favours This week’s parsha features a lengthy por-

If you begrudgingly buy your loved one a

19:30

tion delineating several curses that will

present and just toss it to them, even if it

07:00

19:30

befall the Jewish People if they do not

was the most expensive gift you have ever

07:00

19:00*

observe Hashem’s commandments. During

bought, they will feel saddened. It’s not

19:00

this passage, the Torah states (28:47) that

about the gift. It’s not about the favour.

part of the cause of these afflictions is

The important part is how much love you

“because you did not serve Hashem, yout

put into the act, whether you were happy

G-d, with joy and goodness of heart”.

to do it. That is what brings you closer to

Candle Lighting * Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

Chayim Arukim

to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows ‫שבת‬

9 Sept 18 Ellul

Larraine Goldwater

Mother

Mon

Howard Klepper Ruth Abisgold

Father Father

Charles Keeney Patricia Alex

Father Mother

This is quite alarming. It seems from this

the recipient.

verse that it is not enough to just do a

That is why we do mitzvot. G-d doesn’t

mitzvah, but one has to enjoy it too. How is

need us to come to Shule, for example, if

this fair? You can’t command an emotion?

we don’t really want to be there, and we’re

To place such a threat on account of this

just doing it to make someone happy. He

Kiddushim

seems unfair?

wants us to do it because of the benefits

9 September Andrea & Jonathan Flax

However, if one reflects on the very pur-

16 September Katherine & Paul Nathan

be more understandable. Hashem has not

23 September Unsponsored

something. Making Kiddush, or shaking a

11 Sept 20 Ellul

Fri

15 Sept 24 Ellul

pose of performing mitzvot, it may start to given us mitzvot to do because He needs

it has for ourselves and the way it brings us closer to Him. This attitude takes time and maturity to understand and develop, and the weeks coming up are an ideal time to do so.

stick and a lemon together doesn’t do any-

Mazaltov to Andrea & Jonathan Flax and to Kitty Joseph on the occasion of Nathan’s Aufruf.

Liz Taylor and Michael Rappaport on the birth of a grandson.

thing for Him. We do these things because they are ways of bringing us closer to Him, and making us more G-dlike.

Rabbi Nick Kett

Shabbat Weather AM Thunderstorm 19o High 10o Overnight Low

Parsha

verview

First Aliyah - 11 verses The mitzvah of bikurim is discussed. This mitzvah applies to the Seven Species if grown in the land of Israel. Part of the produce was brought to the Temple in gratitude.

Second Aliyah - 4 verses During Temple times, Jewish farmers were required to separate from their produce several different tithes. These were distributed to the priests, the Levites, the poor, and one tithe which was eaten by its owners in Jerusalem. This aliyah describes the procedure to be followed on the day before Pesach during those years which followed the conclusion of a cycle.

Third Aliyah - 4 verses Moses admonishes the Jews to observe G-d’s commandments; reminding them that they have selected Him to be their G-d, and He, in turn, has chosen them to be His holy and treasured nation.

Fourth Aliyah - 10 verses The Jews are instructed to gather large stones when they cross the Jordan River. These stones were to be plastered, and the entire Torah was to be engraved upon them.

Another set of stones was also to be inscribed with the entire Torah, and be set on Mt. Eval.

Fifth Aliyah - 22 verses The Jewish people are instructed to proclaim blessings and curses on Mts. Gerizim and Eval, and the procedure is described. At the end of the aliyah, we are told of the bountiful blessings which will shower us if we hearken to G-d’s commandments.

Sixth Aliyah - 63 verses This section continues with the aforementioned blessings, and then launches a lengthy description of all the curses and suffering which will befall the Jews when they neglect the mitzvot.

Seventh Aliyah - 8 verses Moshe reminds the Jews of all the miracles which have been their lot from when G-d took them out of Egypt until that very day.

The verses recited as part of the Bikurim service are the same verses we expound during the Pesach Seder.

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Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we describe the effort that went into bringing the First Fruits of a season

A Grand Procession By fulfilling the mitzvah of Bikurim, (bringing the first fruits from your harvest to the Temple), we confirm our belief that the Land and its produce belong to G-d. We express gratitude for the bounty which we enjoy and demonstrate that our livelihood is given to us because of His concern for us.

The first fruits are brought from the seven species of the Land of Israel wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.

When a landowner notices that the first fruit of any of these species begin to ripen in his field or orchard, he ties a thread around it to mark it as bikurim.

He waits until the various kinds of fruits have fully ripened to take them together to the Temple. If he estimates that the first fruits will decay before he begins his journey, he preserves them. Even though he need give only one fruit for bikurim, the more he adds the greater the mitzvah. Bikurim are accepted annually by the

Kohen between Shavuot and Chanukah.

The fruits must be brought to the Temple in a container, such as a basket and preferably each species be placed in its own.

The cities of Eretz Yisrael were grouped into districts. The inhabitants of every town in each district would assemble in one place and travel togeth-

People working in Jerusalem stopped working, rose, and greeted the newcomers. er in Jerusalem to bring their bikurim. A mitzvah is enhanced when performed in large numbers.

The travellers would rest at night in the open. In the morning the leader would announce, “Arise, and let us go up to Tzion, to the House of our G-d!”

An ox, which would later be offered as a sacrifice, walked in front of the procession, its horns covere

with gold, and a wreath of olive leaves decorating its head.

Flutists provided musical accompaniment until the procession reached Jerusalem. They were welcomed by a number of Kohanim and Levi’im, and treasurers of the Temple.

People working in Jerusalem stopped working, rose, and greeted the newcomers, to show respect for those performing this great mitzvah.

At the Temple, even the King himself would put his basket on his shoulders and personally present it to the Kohen. The fruit was placed in front of the altar and the offerer recited the verses from the Torah concerning bikurim. This portion relates G-d’s kindnesses to the Jewish People. The offerer acknowledges his gratitude for all G-d has done for him.

The mitzvah of bikurim is a striking example of the Jewish people’s effforts to beautify the mitzvot.

Based on ‘The Midrash Says’,

by Rabbi M. Weissman

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 Ki Tavo is the 50th of 54 sedras 7th of 11 in Devarim Written on 233 lines in a Torah 122 verses - ranks 17th (2nd in Devarim) 1747 words - ranks 16th (2nd in Devarim) 6811 letters - ranks 15th (4th in Devarim)

Did You Know

Farewell to the Ketts We wish Mazaltov to Rabbi Nick and Shira Kett who will be starting as the Assistant Rabbinic couple in Bushey United Synagogue in London in the next few weeks.

The Ketts have worked with our youth and young families over the last five years, and have run several successful programmes and initiatives. We thank them for opening their home and opening their hearts to our young members, and we wish them every happiness and success in their new move.

Tip #45 Playing Your Part

TEFILLAH TIPS

Before reciting the famous ‘Az Yashir’ prayer, we say several verses of praise said by King David, Nechemia and Moses, which form the foundation of the Yishtabach prayer.

The first four verses were uttered by King David at one of the supreme moments of his life. After Hashem denied Divine permission to build the Holy Temple, he had assembled the necessary contributions and materials so that his heir, Solomon,

could be ready to build as soon as he assumed the throne. In the presence of the assembled congregation, he thanked and blessed G-d for having allowed him to set aside the resources for Divine service, even if he was not to be the one to see the project to its completion.

For this reason, many adopted the custom of setting aside money for charity at this point.

Ki Tavo contains 6 of the 613 mitzvot. 3 are positive mitzvot, and 3 are prohibitions.

The portion of the curses is read in a lower tone than the rest of the parsha, because of how devastating it is to realise that G-d needs to warn us in such graphic terms.

Of the different tithes that had to be separated from your produce, on the 3rd and 6th years of every 7, you had to separate 10% to give to poor people.

The sixth portion of this week’s parsha is the longest portion in the entire Torah with 63 verses (excluding weeks when we combine to parshiyot).

Just For Fun Question: Did you hear about the hungry clock?

Answer: It went back four seconds!

L

KING

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In The Spotlight Nathan Flax and Emma Barr This week we celebrate Nathan’s forthcoming marriage to Emma in October.

Nathan is a Hale boy through and through, but will be settling in Golders Green with Emma, who is originally from Borehamwood.

They met in a taxi six years ago, and instantly clicked.

Interestingly, Emma’s grandparents met in the same way nearly 60 years ago!

Nathan is a property developer and Emma is a speech therapist. They both have an eye for the detail, and their organisational skills are so refined, that they have taken care of almost every detail of their wedding at the Waldorf Hotel in London next month!

An EGM will take place on Thursday 14th September 2017 at 8:15pm.

The purpose of the meeting is to seek the members’ approval to implement a revised corporate structure and constitution for the Shule.

The proposed constitution is available by request from the Shule office.

To receive an email copy please email admin@hale-community.org.uk with the subject “constitution”, or pick up a hard copy in person at the office.

Details of the implementation process and timescales will be provided at the meeting.

Looking forward to seeing you at the EGM on 14th September.

Yours Jonathan Steinberg, Hon Sec 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

We wish Mazaltov to Emma’s mother Karen, and father, Phil, and grandparents, Maureen & Cyril Scott.

It is at this time that we remember Emma’s other grandparents Vera and Leo Barr, as well as Nathan’s grandparents Anna and Nat Flax and Aubrey Joseph z”l.

We also wish Mazaltov to Nathan’s grandmother Kitty Joseph, as well as to Andrea and Jonathan, and we thank them for their hospitality.

You are invited to a Special Seudah Shlishit at Hale Shule. Please join us for a relaxed opportunity to spend time with the ‘Portnoy Children’ who will be spending Shabbat in Hale.