Toldot 5777

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Parshat Toldot

2 Kislev 5777 2 December 2016

Service Times Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat

15:35

(Candle Lighting)

15:35

Shacharit

09:15

Leining

10:15

Mincha follows Kiddush Shabbat Ends

16:50

Ma’ariv

17:05

Weekday

Security team: Orange

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Thought For The Week

Shacharit

Ma’ariv

Sun

09:00

19:30

The Greatest Love of All

Mon

07:00

19:30

Tues

07:00

19:30

This week’s parsha mentions Yitzchak’s

One of the Yetzer Harah’s “tricks” is to

Wed

07:00

19:30

struggles to find sources of water. Two

convince us that we need to fight and argue

Thurs

07:00

19:30

attempts to dig wells resulted in conflicts

in order to get what we want. He has us

Fri

07:00

16:00

with the Pelishtim who claimed they were

believe that if we humbly ignore insults or

15:30*

theirs. Finally, they discovered a third well

wrongs committed against us, then we put

* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

which was not contested. Yitzchak then

our wellbeing risk. But the truth is just the

Chayim Arukim

proclaimed that there was peace, and they

opposite. It is fighting and hatred that puts

they now could grow and prosper in the

our wellbeing at risk. The best thing we

land (26:22).

can do for ourselves, both for physical and

Candle Lighting

to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows

‫שבת‬ 3 December

Aryeh Gradel Paul Nathan Mark Saperia

Mon

Nigel Esterkin Parents Eugene Esterkin Parents Anne Rosenfield Father

lesson about the dangers of Machloket

Joan Middleweek Father Angela Chalkin Husband

ability to succeed and prosper. We learn

Matthew Davies Father

Yisrael encamped at Mount Sinai “as one

3 Kislev

5 December 5 Kislev

Wed

7 December 7 Kislev

Thurs

8 December 8 Kislev

Fri

9 December 9 Kislev

Sonya Bower

Father Father Wife

Father

Rabbi Eli Mansour teaches a fundamental (fighting), namely, that it denies us the that the Torah could not be given until Bnei person with one heart”. The spiritual effects of Torah are blocked by strife and discord,

Kiddushim

and so unity and peace are necessary

3 December Unsponsored

prerequisites for Torah. Here in Parashat

10 December Power Kiddush 17 December Sara & Raymond Crammer

spiritual achievements, is to live in peace and harmony with the people in our lives.

This requires being forgiving, patient and tolerant, and avoiding arguments and fights even when we are sure that we are right.

We must remind ourselves that each time we avoid an argument, we are opening the gates to Hashem’s blessings and helping to ensure that they will be bestowed upon us and our families.

Toldot, we learn that material success is also impossible without unity and harmony.

Rabbi Nick Kett

Indeed, the Rabbis teach ‘a single fight can

Shabbat Weather

cause one to lose one hundred opportuni-

AM Partly Cloudy

ties to earn a livelihood’.

6o High 1o Overnight Low

Parsha

verview

First Aliyah - 21 verses After struggling to conceive, Isaac and Rebecca pray to have children and are gifted with twins. After a difficult pregnancy, Rebecca gives birth to Esav and Jacob.

Esav became a hunter, and Jacob became an honest Torah scholar.

Esav exchanges his birthright for a bowl of stew.

Second Aliyah - 7 verses Isaac settles in Philistine. Fearful that he would be killed, he tells the townspeople that Rebecca is his sister. Avimelech notices that she must be his wife and decrees that no one may touch him. Isaac grows a lot of food there.

Third Aliyah - 10 verses Isaac becomes extremely wealthy, and the Philistines become envious of his wealth. Isaac leaves by their request and settles in Gerar.

There, he digs three new wells; two are contested over, and one is not.

Fourth Aliyah - 7 verses G-d appears to Isaac and blesses him, assuring him that He would always be with him. Avimelech requests to enter into a peace treaty with Isaac.

Fifth Aliyah - 33 verses Isaac agrees to the peace treaty.

In his older age, Isaac asks Esav to fetch him some food and he would bless him. Rebecca overhears and insists Jacob dress up like his brother, in order to get the blessing instead.

Sixth Aliyah - 23 verses Jacob is blessed with the “dew of the heaven and the fat of the earth”, and is granted mastery over his brother. When Esav learns of this, he is furious, and decides to kill Jacob. To prevent this, Rebecca asks Isaac to send Jacob away to Charan to find a wife.

Seventh Aliyah - 5 verses Isaac sends Jacob to Lavan, his brother-in-law’s home in Charan, to marry one of his daughters.

Esav marries again, this time to Machlat, the daughter of Yishmael.

Esav was born hairy, bearded, and with a full set of teeth!

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 relationship between Jacob and Esav

This World Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us After praying for children for twenty years, Rebecca finally became pregnant.

However, her pregnancy was unusual. She found the pains to be so excessive that she could hardly endure them. She felt as if two forces were battling in her womb, attempting to kill each other.

Whenever she passed a synagogue or study hall, she felt like the baby was trying to escape. When she came across a temple of idolworship, she had the same feeling.

Even though Jacob and Esav were unborn and did not yet possess minds of their own, their natural inclinations already manifested themselves even before birth.

the mother of two great nations. You carry both together, yet once they are born, even the entire world will be too small to contain them together in peace. How then can you expect them to coexist peacefully in your womb?”

Both nations will strive towards different goals.

One will be proud of its Torah while the other will pride itself on its wealth.



Once they are born, the world will be too small to contain them together in peace.

simultaneously. The rise of one will depend on the downfall of the other. They will continue to wrestle until the time of Moshiach, but in the end, the older will serve the younger.”

When Rebecca’s pregnancy came to an end, she gave birth to twins. The first of the twins was unusual. He did not look like a newborn baby, but rather emerged hairy, bearded, and with a full mouth of teeth. They named him ‘Esav’, meaning ‘the ready made one’, since he was so developed.

We are also told that if Esav had conquered his evil inclinations, he would have also devoted his strength to Hashem’s service, and they would have shared the Jewish leadership together, each contributing six tribes; Jacob, with his wife Rachel, and Esav would have married Leah.

 Both nations will produce mighty emperors - King Rebecca visited the study Solomon, who will build hall of Shem, Noach’s son, the Temple, and Hadrian, to inquire why her pregwho will destroy it. nancy was so strange.

Shem received a proph From one nation will ecy from Hashem condescend the Jewish sage cerning Rebecca. “Hashem and leader, Rabbi Judah the says that you are carryBased on Prince, and from the other, ing twins. He has told me ‘The Midrash Says’ the emperor Antoninus. to reveal to you secrets

by Rabbi M. Weissman of future history which Shem prophesied further you are not to communi“The two nations you will cate further to any other bear will not become great person: you will become 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 Toldot is the 6th of 54 sedras 6th of 12 in Bereshit Written on 172.7 lines in a Torah (ranks 36th) 106 verses - ranks 29th (9th in Bereshit) 1432 words - ranks 34th (10th in Bereshit) 5426 letters - ranks 33rd (10th in Bereshit)

Did You Know There are 17 Parshiyot in the Torah that do not contain a single mitzvah. Toldot is one of them. However there are plenty of lessons about developing character.

The person who told Rebecca that she was expecting twins was Shem, Noach’s son! He even outlived Abraham!

Jacob was preparing a lentil stew for Isaac as a traditional mourner’s meal, because Abraham had just died.

Tip #6 The Fine Line

TEFILLAH TIPS

Our Sages teach us that we should always view ourselves as being on the dividing line between being a Tzaddik and a Rasha; a righteous individual, and an evil person. One mitzvah or one mistake could tilt the balance in either direction.

This lends added importance to all of our deeds throughout the day, as they can restore the balance, or gain momentum in one direction. The opportunity to pray for Divine support can be of significant importance and can be a helpful tool to increase focus and concentration.

Esav married at the age of 40, in an attempt to be like Isaac who also married at that age.

Just For Fun Question: Who was the first doctor in the Torah?

Answer: Jacob.

He knew how to heel.

2

KING AHEAD

L YOUTH

In The Spotlight Anne & Harvey Rosenfield

EDUCATION

This week Anne and Harvey were honoured with the Building Bridges Award in the annual Manchester Jewish Community Awards.

The Rosenfields were nominated for the award in recognition of the tours of the Shule that they arrange for children from the wider community. Their vital contribution has helped improve relations and increase dialogue over the years, and it is wonderful that they have been recognised for this achievement.

Anne and Harvey have lived in Hale for over thirty years, and have given to the community in many ways during that time, including Anne’s involvement with our Nursery, and Harvey Presidency, not to mention the popular Shabbat and Yom Tov services he has led.

For nearly ten years, they have welcomed hundreds of children to our Shule to show them around and teach them about Judaism, including 150 students from St. Ambrose each year, and other school, church and Scout groups. Their sessions have evolved over the years, but they always make sure to end off with a L’Chayim in the Pearl Suite!

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 them Mazaltov, and bless them with many more years of continuing witih this vital work.