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Parshat Lech Lecha Shabbat UK
10 Cheshvan 5777 11 November 2016
Service Times Shabbat Candle Lighting
16:00
Kabbalat Shabbat
17:15
Shacharit
09:00
Leining
10:00
Mincha
16:30
Shabbat Ends & Ma’ariv
17:13
Weekday
Security team: Grey
Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz
Leining
Haftarah
54 66 45
1133 1377 60
Thought For The Week
Shacharit
Ma’ariv
Sun
09:00
19:30
Mon
07:00
19:30
Tues
07:00
19:30
This week is Shabbat UK and as we join
Carl Marx was wrong; We are not just the
Wed
07:00
19:30
with thousands the world over, we cele-
economy.
Thurs
07:00
19:30
brate Hashem’s gift of Shabbat - no doubt
Fri
07:00
16:00
Candle Lighting
15:50*
* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
Judaism’s Greatest Innovation
one of Judaism’s greatest innovations.
The Jewish people always understood that you need to have an epicentre, an inner
One day in seven, when the market was
unshakable core that cannot go down with
closed, there was no work; a limit was
the fluctuations and vicissitudes of the
to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows
set on economic striving. The focus was
market and of life in general. That core is
placed, not on our financial status, but
made up, not of possessions or money, but
שבת
on our inner character. That day is a time
of our moral integrity, our connectedness to
dedicated to all those things that money
G-d; it is comprised of our love, our loyalty,
can’t buy and e-bay can’t sell: our relation-
our faith, and the intimacy we share with our soul, our Creator and our loved ones.
Chayim Arukim
Annaliese Gordon Marian Dobkin Philip Science Victor Brim
Mother Sister Mother Sister
Sun
Carol Latter Rochelle Stoll Nicola Lee
Mother Mother Mother
ship with Hashem, the inner development
Mon
Pat Sufrin Alan Dobkin Charles Lewis
Sister Mother Mother
of what we have. This is the essence of
12 November 11 Cheshvan
13 November 12 Cheshvan
14 November 13 Cheshvan
Tues
15 November 14 Cheshvan
Larraine Goldwater Father
Wed
16 November 15 Cheshvan
Joyce Solomon Anita Rubin Eve Pincus
Thurs
Louise Leinhardt
17 November 16 Cheshvan
Fri
18 November 17 Cheshvan
שבת
19 November 18 Cheshvan
Husband Mother Father
Father Lady Beryl Steinberg Husband Jonathan Steinberg Father Lynne Attias Father Shirley Horwich
Sister
Brenton Walshaw
Brother
of the human being and the appreciation Shabbat.
One day a week we celebrate,
not our external achievements, but our inner humaneness, our inner person and our Neshama - our soul.
Inspired by our experience this Shabbat let us resolve to focus in the months ahead on what Shabbat truly is - a sacred spiritual and family time when we recall that the greatness of man is not in what he or she has, but is in who we really are.
Shabbat teaches us to not define ourselves
Rabbi Joel Portnoy
exclusively by our bank account or job title. There is more to us than finances. We make money, but we are not money; we
Shabbat Weather
have a job, but we are not a job; We engage
AM Rain
in work, but we are not actually labour.
9o High 6o Overnight Low
Parsha
verview
First Aliyah - 13 verses G-d commands Avram to leave his home and travel to an unknown location. Avram is promised a great reward for obeying. He arrives in Canaan and is soon forced to leave to Egypt because of famine. Second Aliyah - 11 verses Sarai is taken captive and brought to Pharoah because of her beauty. G-d strikes the Egyptians with a plague, and Sarai is released. Third Aliyah - 14 verses Lot, who had accompanied Avram and Sarai decides to part ways and settle in Sodom. Fourth Aliyah - 20 verses The victors of the war between the four kings and the five kings take Lot captive. Avram defeats the kings almost singlehandedly to release Lot, and return stolen property. Fifth Aliyah - 10 verses When G-d promises Avram great wealth he exclaims that it is worthless without an heir (he was childless). G-d assures him that he will have a child, and his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. Sixth Aliyah - 37 verses G-d commands Avram to perform the ‘Covenant of the Parts’ to serve as a sign that his descendants will inherit the Land of Canaan. Following this Sarai suggests that he father a child with Hagar, her Egyptian maid. Hagar is exiled because of the way she treated Sarai, but returns by the instruction of an angel. She gives birth to Yishmael, who she is assured will become a great nation. The portion ends with Hashem adding the letter ‘ ’הto Avram’s name, making him Avraham. Seventh Aliyah - 21 verses Abraham performs a brit milah at the age of 99 and is promised another son. Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah, and the Parsha ends with a Divine promise that she will give birth to a son.
is the This week the e first tim Brit f o mitzvah tioned. n e Milah is m
S L E W
JE
M S I DA
U J F O
Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we focus on the episode that Hashem forgot
Trial By Fire There is a fascinating episode involving Abraham which goes completely unmentioned in the Torah, but is alluded to in the verse (11:31) “Terach took his son...and Lot...and... Sarai...and they departed... from Ur Kasdim to go to the Land of Canaan. The Midrash relates the cause of this departure. Nimrod still hoped to convince Avram to worship him and his gods. For each of the four elements that Nimrod suggesting they worship, Avraham managed to counter his arguments. Fire should not be worshipped because water has the power to extinguish it. Clouds are stronger than water because they carry it, therefore we should not worship water. Wind disperses clouds, therefore it must be superior. However, a human being is stronger than the wind because he is full of air despite having bodily openings. Nimrod lost his temper, and stated “I worship fire, and I will have you thrown into fire. We will soon see if your G-d is stronger
than mine!” Nimrod ordered his officers to cast him into a huge furnace (some say this was the same furnace used to make bricks for the Tower of Babel). However, despite the strength of the fire, Avram remained completely unhurt. It is explained that he survived because of his unshakeable belief in Hashem, Who miraculously decreed that the
Only G-d can decide the appropriate way to serve Him and sanctify His name.
fire should not harm him. His brother, Haran, who witnessed Avram’s ordeal could not decide whether to join his side or to profess his loyalty to Nimrod. When he saw Avram escape the furnace, he declared that he too believes in Avram’s G-d. However, when he was seized and thrown into the furnace, no miracle occurred and he was
consumed by the vicious flames. Why does this incredible story go unmentioned in the Written Law, and only reserved for the Midrash? It is an incredible story about sacrificing your life for Hashem! One reason is because the Torah is not a book to teach us of personal successes. Rather, it wishes to teach us that only G-d can decide the appropriate way to serve Him and sanctify His name. While we can guess what Hashem wants from us, ultimately, we must listen to His instructions. Had Avram followed his own plan, he would not have affected many people. It was only due to G-d’s plan that Avram was successful. It was only when G-d intervened in Avram’s life at the beginning of Lech Lecha, that the story of his success began.
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 Lech Lecha is the 3rd of 54 sedras 3rd of 12 in Bereshit Written on 208 lines in a Torah (ranks 23rd) 126 verses - ranks 13th (Joint with Parshat Re’eh) 1686 words - ranks 18th (7th in Bereshit) 6336 letters - ranks 19th (7th in Bereshit)
Did You Know The Torah tells us Avram rescued Lot with a force of ‘318’. Although this sounds like the size of his army, Rashi suggests that he only took his servant, Eliezer to fight the five kings. The numeric value of ‘Eliezer’ is 318! Being compared to both dust and stars is not just about our numbers, but also reflects the ups and downs of Jewish history: we can be stepped on like the dust of the ground, or as lofty and grand as the stars of the heavens.
Tip #3 Comprendez Vous?
TEFILLAH TIPS
Whenever you get the chance, spend some time reading through the English translation of one or more paragraphs of davening. Whenever you find yourself with free time in Shule, review more of the English translation. Understanding what you’re saying when you are davening is crucial for a successful prayer experience.
In the same way we would always look to translate anything that was said to us by a foreign client or guest, we also need to understand what Hashem is trying to say to us, as well as what Hashem would like us to say to Him.
On the 8th day of a baby’s life, prothrombin and Vitamin K levels (which help blood to clot) reach their peak.
Just For Fun Question: Why did the mohel retire? Answer: He just couldn’t cut it anymore!
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L
KING AHEAD
In The Spotlight Madison Wolff
WIDER KEHILLAH
EDUCATION
This week we are celebrating Madison’s Batmitzvah. Madison studies at King David, and participates in Hale’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah programme. Madison has a very creative streak in her, and enjoys music and theatre, and is involved with Stage 80, so her presentation in Shule should be a doddle!
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY Sunday 13th November
There will be Remembrance Sunday services both in Hale Barns and Hale, and Rabbi Portnoy will be present at both venues. Prayers will be recited at both services on behalf of the Jewish Community. Services will be held at Hale Barns at 10:50am at the War Memorial. Once again this year we are hosting the wider community back at Shule after the ceremony; please make the time to join us. We also request parents with children to drop them off at Shule at 10:30am on their way to the cenotaph where they will meet Rabbi Nick & Shira in order for them to form up and arrive at the ceremony together. At Hale, the procession leaves Hale Library at 2:55pm – the service itself is at the War Memorial at 3:15pm. We urge those of you who are available to make the effort to attend at least one of the services and join in representing the Jewish Community.
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
Madison will be joined by friends and family, including her brother, Harvey, who will be trying to be very nice to her for this special weekend. She is also looking forward to celebrating with her cousins to whom she is very close. We wish Mazaltov to Fraser, and to Victoria Wolff, as well as to Larraine and Victor. We hope Madison enjoys her simcha, and wish her every success in the future.
Kiddushim 12 November Fraser Wolff 19 November Unsponsored 26 November Jennifer & Steven Berman
Mazaltov to Fraser, Victoria, Larraine & Victor Wolff on the occasion of Madison’s Bat Chayil. Dena & Michael Rosenthal, and to Beverley & Neil Rosenthal on the birth of a daughter and granddaughter.