Va'etchanan 5776

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Parshat Va’etchanan 15 Av 5776 19 August 2016

Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat

19:00

(Candle Lighting)

19:00

Shacharit

09:15

Leining

10:15

Mincha followed by Seudah

20:10

Ma’ariv

21:20

Weekday Shacharit Mincha & Ma’ariv*

Security team: Red

Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz

Leining

Haftarah

958 1146 755

1196 1470 776

Thought For The Week

Sun

08:00

19:30

Mon

07:00

19:30

Let It In

Tues

07:00

19:30

Wed

07:00

19:30

I have had several conversations with

us that the mitzvot should be on our

Thur

07:00

19:30

teenagers who have told me that they do

hearts. This is strange. Surely we should

Fri

07:00

19:00**

not believe in G-d. This is quite a conclu-

want our commitment to His mitzvot in

sion to reach at their age, considering how

our hearts?

Candle Lighting

19:00

* In Bowdon ** Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

issue thoroughly enough to have formed

Chayim Arukim

to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows Sun

21 August 17 Av

Mon

Tony Alex

Father

Sharon Cohen

Wed

Malcolm Jaffa Charmaine Mattison

Father Father

Sidney Kaye Nadine Wagman

Mother Father

Doreen Torz Mavis Marsh Ella Lentin Hilary Black Susan Kaitcer Steven Falk

Thurs

25 August

21 Av Fri

26 August 22 Av

‫שבת‬

27 August 23 Av

such an important opinion. Upon further probing, it transpires that they struggle with one or two, (or more), deep questions, which without an answer that they

22 August 18 Av 24 August 20 Av

unlikely it is that they have researched the

Father

can understand, or are willing to understand, creates an obstacle in believing in G-d.

The Sfat Emet explains that at the very least a person should put Hashem and His mitzvot on our hearts. At least they are there, ready for absorption whenever we are ready. There may be several mitzvot and traditions that we are not ready to bring into our lives, and there may be several reasons why not. But this lesson teaches us to not be afraid of them and

I choose to tell them that instead of

throw them away. Don’t ignore them.

Father Mother Brother

“casting G-d away”, it can be possible to

Just let them sit there. Become aware of

believe that G-d exists, but to admit that

them. Learn about them. By doing so, it

Father Father Father

they are not yet ready to have a mature

will make it easier to mature and develop

relationship with Him. At the very least,

our relationship with Hashem as time

let G-d into your life, and speak realisti-

goes on.

Kiddushim

Rabbi Nick Kett

20 August Ginni & Jonathan Steinberg

cally to Him. At least this keeps G-d pres-

27 August Clare & Mark Savinson

that faith and that relationship.

Shabbat Weather

3 September Nicola & Simon Fine

It was only recently that I discovered a

AM Rain

source for this approach. The Shema tells

17o High

ent, and in time you can come to develop

14o Overnight Low

Parsha

verview

First Aliyah - 11 verses Moses pleads with G-d to allow him entry into Israel. G-d refuses this request, but shows him the Promised Land from a mountain.

Moses enjoins the people to follow G-d’s law, and never to add to or detract from it.

Second Aliyah - 36 verses Moses implores the Israelites to treasure the Torah. He describes the day they received the Torah.

Worshipping graven images will result in national exile and decimation. But even when exiled, G-d will not forsake His people, and eventually they will repent and return to G-d. This section concludes with Moses praising the Israelites’ uniqueness.

Third Aliyah - 9 verses Moses designates three cities of refuge on the eastern side of the Jordan River.

Fourth Aliyah - 18 verses Moses repeats the Ten Commandments, reminding the Israelites that the Sinai covenant was not limited to those who were physically present at Mount Sinai.

Fifth Aliyah - 15 verses Moses describes the fright which gripped the nation following the revelation on Sinai, and how the leaders of the tribes pleaded that he be the intermediary to transmit G-d’s words to them.

Sixth Aliyah - 22 verses The first section of the Shema contains fundamental mitzvot of belief in G d’s unity, love of G d, tefillin, mezuzah, and Torah study.

G-d promises to give the Israelites a land filled with bounty and spoils.

Moses instructs the nation what to respond to their children who might inquire why they observe all the commandments.

Seventh Aliyah - 11 verses The Israelites are directed to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan along with their idols, and the prohibition against intermarriage is discussed.

rael is The Land of Is ilk and referred to “m times honey” twenty in Tanach.

S L E W

JE

M S I DA

U J F O

Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we examine the effectiveness of tefillah

Does Prayer Work?

The beginning of this week’s parsha focuses on Moshe and his prayers to Hashem to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, a privilege he knew he had already lost.

Among the lessons we can learn from his decision to pray, two stand out.

Firstly, despite a lifetime of service to Hashem, Moshe did not feel that G-d should fulfill his request as a form of repayment.

Rather, Moshe presented his prayers in the form of entreaties and supplications. As the humblest of men, Moshe was clearly aware that no matter how greatly person exerts himsefl for Hashem, he remains always in the Almighty’s debt. Thus our Sages advocate to not pray in a demanding manner; rather, humbly entreat Hashem to have mercy no you, despite your shortcomings.

Secondly, Moshe’s intensive prayers, which he resumed on the day of his death, taught future generations to persist in praying. Even if a person feels literally or figuratively - the blade of the sword already touching his bare neck, he shouldn’t say, “What pur-

pose is there in my praying further?”

Moshe continued praying even though Hashem had clearly told him that he would not enter. He therefore demonstrated that a person must never say that there is no point in praying.

No prayer is “in vain”.

King Chizkiyahu fell dangerously ill and was confined to his bed.

A person should never despair, even if a sword is being held to his throat.

The prophet Yeshayahu entered and announced to him in G-d’s Name that he is about to die, and he will not be revived at the Resurrection of the Dead. Dismayed, Chizkiyahu inquired to know what crime he had committed to warrant such an exclusion.

G-d informed him that it was because he had refused to have children. His excuse had been because he foresaw prophetically that his chidlren would

abandon Hashem’s mitzvot. However, it was not his place to meddle with Hashem’s with G-d’s affairs.

Chizkiyahu davened to rectify the problem, because he had been taught that a person should never despair, even if a sword is being held to his throat.

In response, Yeshayahu received word from Hashem that the king’s prayers had been answered, and fifteen years would be added to his life so that he could correct his problem.

Two wicked sons were indeed born to him: Menashe, who became king over Yehudah and performed evil deeds, and Ravshakei, who became an apostate and collaborated with the Asssyrian king Sancheriv against the Jews.

What he had not foreseen, however, was that his son Menashe would repent at the end of his life and that he would have a righteous descendant..

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 Va’etchanan is the 44th of 54 sedras 2nd of 11 in Devarim Written on 249 lines in a Torah 122 verses - ranks 17th (2nd in Devarim) 1878 words - ranks 10th (2nd in Devarim) 7343 letters - ranks 10th (2nd in Devarim)

Did You Know Va’etchanan contains 12 of the 613 mitzvot. 8 of these are positive mitzvot, and 4 are prohibitions.

A primary cause of idolatry is the natural human tendency to relate better to something concrete, visible, and tangible, rather than something abstract and intangible.

The Jews received the Ten Commandments in Parshat Yitro, and then Moshe repeated them in this week’s parsha. However, there are various differences between the two versions.

QA &

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!

Which 4 phenomenon were present at Mt. Sinai during the 10 Commandments?

How does Hashem describe Egypt?

What were the names of the three cities of refuge on the east of the Jordan?

How are we told to love Hashem?

How many nations does G-d promise to deliver to the Jewish People?

Where else do we see the question asked in the verse 6:20?

It is possible to trace accurate chains of transmission of our Torah all the way back to people who physically stood at Mount Sinai and received the Torah. No other religion can boast such a claim.

Just For Fun Question: What do you call a man with no body and just a nose?

Answer: Nobody nose!

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 1. 1st Shevat.

4. 60.

5. Yair.

BONUS: Six.

2. The children of Esav.

3. Zamzumim.

L

KING AHEAD COMMUNAL

2

In The Spotlight

EDUCATION Mincha & Ma’ariv In order to ensure a Minyan for mid-week evening prayers during the summer holidays, we will be joining forces with Bowdon Shul, until Thursday 1st September.

Mincha & Ma’ariv will still be at 7.30pm (Sundays-Thursdays), but each Shule will host on alternate weeks.

Week Commencing: Sun 21st August: Bowdon Sun 28th August: Hale

Mazaltov to Ginni & Jonathan Steinberg, Lady Beryl Steinberg and Alain de Botton on the birth of a granddaughter and great granddaughter - a daughter to Josh & Racheli.

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