Sponsored in loving memory of Stewart Levene z”l Tzaddok Zalman Yaakov ben R’ Shmuel z”l
Service Times
g n i h t e Som e n o y r e v for E
d"sb
Parshat Vayechi
15 Tevet 5777 13 January 2017
Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat
16:00
(Candle Lighting)
16:00
Shacharit
09:15
Leining
10:15
Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz
Mincha follows Kiddush Shabbat Ends
17:15
Ma’ariv
17:30
Weekday Shacharit
Ma’ariv
Sun
09:00
19:30
Mon
07:00
19:30
Tues
07:00
19:30
Wed
07:00
19:30
Thurs
07:00
19:30
Fri
07:00
15:55
Leining
Haftarah
268 318 180
1145 1396 191
Security team: Blue
Thought For The Week A Matter of Life and Death In this week’s Parsha Ya’akov, on his death-
father’ – words of wisdom and blessings as
bed, summons all his children together for
being expressed from a complete and truly
* Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
his final parting words. The terminology
successful father. Not just statements from
Chayim Arukim
used to gather his children is intriguing.
a man with potential.
Candle Lighting
16:10*
Jeremy and Nicholas Herz on the loss of their father, and to all those who have Yahrzeit this week as follows שבת
1416 January Tevet
Sun
15 January 17 Tevet
Louise Leinhardt Harvey Beaver Ann Rosenfield Ruth Glass Ian Glass Melanie Woolf Sheila Green Neil Allweis
Mother Father Mother Husband Father Father Mother Father
Mon
Helen Morris Father Johnny Hammond Father
Tues
Neil Rosenthal Susan Lentin Marc Levene Ryan Levene
Mother Father Father Father
Bernice Green Cynthia Cowan
Mother Mother
Hilary Black Paul Cohen
Mother Father
16 January 18 Tevet 17 January 19 Tevet
Wed
18 January 20 Tevet
Thurs
19 January 21 Tevet
Fri
Jacob; And listen to Israel your father”.
To create unity amongst people one must find the basic common denominator. As
A baby is born with a complex toolbox
Jews, our basic common denominator rests
comprising of different character traits,
in the fact that we are a family; children of
inclinations and mental capabilities. But
Avraham Yitzchak and Ya’akov.
ultimately he or she is defined by how they have cultivated these gifts. It is our life-long mission to slowly and relentlessly climb the mountain of self-improvement.
However, when we gather together in Shule every Shabbos it is not only like a big family get-together where we can share old jokes and make a lechaim, but rather to enrich
Ya’akov – our patriarch is called at birth as
our conscience of the legacy which ‘Israel’
one who is second best, as the one who
our forefather taught us.
is grabbing the heel of his elder brother Esav. However with time he grows to the name of Israel for he ‘has striven…and
“Hear O’ Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.”
Rabbi Aharon Bloch
prevailed”(32 30).
20 January 22 Tevet
Estelle Glyn
Mother
שבת
Tony Woolf Peter Woolf
Father Father
21 January 23 Tevet
“Assemble yourselves and hear, sons of
The unveiling for Norman Bower will take place on Sunday 2.00pm at Dunham Bet Olam.
Unity is merely a vessel and an opportunity conducive to spiritual growth and blessing. The assembly of ‘the sons of Jacob’ was to therefore allow for ‘listen to Israel your
Shabbat Weather AM Sunny 4o High -1o Overnight Low
Parsha
verview
First Aliyah - 13 verses Jacob lived his last seventeen years in Egypt. Towards the end, Jacob summons Joseph and asks him to promise that he would bury him in Israel. Joseph acceded to the request. Jacob confers upon Ephraim and Menashe the status of tribal progenitors, a status until now enjoyed only by Jacob’s sons. Joseph asks his father to bless Ephraim and Menashe. Second Aliyah - 7 verses Joseph presents Menashe, the firstborn, to Jacob’s right, and Ephraim to Jacob’s left. Jacob, who is nearly blind at this point, crosses his hands, placing his right – more prestigious – hand on Ephraim’s head. He blesses them. Third Aliyah - 6 verses Joseph tries to correct Jacob, but he explains that the younger brother will be greater. Jacob blesses the two boys further, saying that all of Israel will bless each other to be like Ephraim and Menashe. Fourth Aliyah - 17 verses Jacob summons all his sons, and delivers a poetic, and somewhat cryptic, personal message. Reuben is chastised. Shimon and Levi are rebuked for their anger. Judah is blessed with monarchy and success. Zevulun is blessed in trade. Yissachar and Dan are also blessed. Fifth Aliyah - 8 verses Gad is blessed with bravery. Asher, Naphtali and Joseph are also blessed. Sixth Aliyah - 27 verses Benjamin is blessed. Jacob passes away at the age of 147. After an extended mourning period, they bury him in the Cave of Machpelah. Joseph reassures his brothers that he will not harm them in Jacob’s absence. Seventh Aliyah - 6 verses Joseph dies at the age of 110. He tells his brothers that Hashem will eventually take them out of Egypt and return them to the Promised Land. Joseph asks his brothers to promise that they will bury him there.
were Joseph’s bones ypt Eg of t ou n take e th by Moses when t yp Eg e Jews leav es. after the plagu
S L E W
JE
M S I DA
U J F O
Delve into the deeper side of Judaism This week we take a look at our forefather’s outlook on life
Final Requests Joseph received a message stating, “Your father is seriously ill!” This news was brought to him by his son Ephraim who frequented Jacob’s house in Goshen in order to study Torah. He now came travelling to the Egyptian cpital to report to his father that Jacob’s condition was critical. Jacob was the first person in history to become seriously ill before his death. His illness was of his own doing, however, a result of his request to Hashem. In fact, all of our forefathers made similar requests to Hashem: Before Abraham’s time, all people looked young until they died. Abraham demanded from Hashem that he should be given physical signs of old age, arguing, “If a father and a son look alike, how will people know which of them to honour if they enter a place together? Distinguish a man by signs of old age such as white hair and wrinkles, and then people will know whom to respect.”
and all mankind afterhim was given external signs of old age. Before Isaac’s time, no one every experienced pain. Then Isaac came and demanded suffering. He said to Hashem, “If a person dies without the experience of pain, the full strictness of Heavenly judgement will be applied against him. But pains in this world will spare him from punishment in the World to Come”.
Hashem answered Isaac,
We attribute major importance to well-being in this world. and he subsequently became blind. Until King Chizkiyahu’s time, there was no fatal sickness from which people recuperated. Chizkiyahu prayed to Hashem, “If a man remains healthy until his death, he will be forgetful of repentance. But someone who becomes dangerously ill will do teshuva in the hope that he will then recover.
Hashem answered Chizkiyahu and he was then stricken with a severe illness and later recuperated. This Midrash is a most striking guide for our day and age. If we would be allowed to utter one wish to Hashem, for what would we ask? We would most certainly ask for eternal youth, health, happiness, and so on. The Midrash tells us that our forefathers demanded just the opposite; they demanded to look old, to be given suffering and illness! We attribute major importance to well-being in this world. Our forefathers, however, were constantly aware that the goal of our existence is the World to Come. They therefore requested whatever would promote spiritual well-being and rejected anything that might be detrimental to the welfare of the soul.
Based on ‘The Midrash Says’ by Rabbi M. Weissman
Hashem answered Abraham, and he began to lookIf you like would an oldlike man, to share your words of wisdom, please submit your article of no more than 500 words to nick@hale-community.org.uk
Parsha Stats Vayechi is the 12th of 54 sedras 12th of 12 in Bereshit Written on 148.33 lines in a Torah (ranks 45th) 85 verses - ranks 44th (12th in Bereshit) 1158 words - ranks 44th (12th in Bereshit) 4448 letters - ranks 43rd (12th in Bereshit)
Did You Know
The First Hale Shule Coffee Morning!
More than 26% of the Torah’s verses are found in the book of Bereishit (1533 of 5846).
An opportunity to meet old friends and to make new ones. Both non-members and members are welcome.
Tuesday 17th January - 10.00am - 12.00pm
When Jacob originally asked his sons to gather round,, his intention was to reveal details about the End of Days, but Hashem did not permit him to tell them.
The Pearl Suite, Hale Shule, Shay Lane No charge, No speakers, Various stalls. We hope to see you on the day, and please let us know if you require transport.
Egyptian burial procedures involved a lengthy mourning period. Therefore, Jacob agreed to be embalmed, so that nobody would see that his body would not decay since he was so righteous
Warm best wishes, Gill Brownson: 903 8054 or gill.brownson@yahoo.com Ruthie Portnoy: 903 9352 or ruthie@hale-community.org.uk
Tip #12 Start and Finish
TEFILLAH TIPS
Over the last 11 weeks, we have recommended various prompts and tips to help with prayer in a general sense. Today, put special emphasis into your first and last prayers of the day, which can aid you with your prayers during the rest of the day. Modeh Ani is the first prayer we say when we wake up in the morning. Try
The brothers died over 22 years in the following order: Joseph, Shimon, Yehudah, Reuben, Benjamin, Yissachar, Asher, Zevulun, Gad, Dan, Naftali, Levi.
Just For Fun
saying it with special concentration, truly thanking Hashem for giving you a new day full of new opportunities. Similarly, the bracha of Hamapil is the final prayer we say in bed, before falling asleep. Take time to reflect over the events of your day, feel grateful for the good things you have experienced, and pray for a safe night ahead.
Question: What language did brave Egyptians write in?
Answer: In hero-glyphics!
2
L
KING AHEAD COMMUNAL
In The Spotlight David Raynes
EDUCATION
This week, we mark a special occasion for one of Hale’s most loyal members. It is the 30th anniversary of David Raynes’ Barmitzvah. He will be honoured with a special aliyah to the Torah in recognition of this significant occasion. David has lived his whole life in Hale, and is no stranger to our Shabbat morning services. He is a warm, loving and sociable person, who makes an effort to try and greet everybody he encounters. He always has a joke or a story on hand to give people a laugh or cheer people up. He is also a committed member of the ‘Naughty Boys’ Kiddush Club! During the week, David lives in Whitefield, and tries to balance his active social life, and involvement with organisations like the Friendship Circle. He is also a big movie fan, and especially enjoys the Bond films. David has two sisters, Lisa and Vicky, and is a proud uncle of six nieces and nephews. We wish Mazaltov to David, as well as to Gillian and Tony, and we thank them for their hospitality.
Kiddushim
14 January Gillian & Tony Raynes 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
21 January Linda & Philip Braunstein 28 January Unsponsored