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Achim Newsletter
Parshas Ki sesa
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Mazel Tov!
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Greetings!
I hope you had a beautiful Purim experience.
Please note our upcoming Melave Malka next Saturday evening. See details below. We will be having Harold Gans presenting.
Also, please note the wonderful Mazel Tov to Gennady and Liel Novosletsky on the birth of their little daugther. See details below.Candle lighting time for Baltimore 5:45
pm
Shabbos concludes
6:54 pm
Please go to this site if you wish to print the Parsha
thought as a normal document. http://achim.org/Newsletter%20Printable.htm
To enjoy our Parsha summary go to http://achim.org/parsha.htm
Vsego khoroshego,
Paysach Diskind
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Mazel Tov!
Kehillas Achim takes much joy in announcing the birth of a little girl to Gennady and Liel Novosletsky last Shabbos.
Gennady and Liel will be naming their little daughter this Shabbos at Congregation Bet Yakov. A Kiddush in honor of her naming and her birth will be celebrated following the services.
Date: Saturday, March 6
Time: Services - 8:15 am / Kiddush 10:30 am
Location: Congregation Bet Yakov (3615 Seven Mile Lane)
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to print this as a webpage click http://achim.org/Newsletter%20Printable.htm
Parsha
Thought
The rhythm of the life of a Jew is guided by the calendar
and its special days and occasions. The holidays play their role in creating
this context. The Shabbos certainly plays its role in this as well. There are
other moments of the calendar outside of holidays and Shabbos that play their
role. Among these other moments are the Four Parshios. The Four Parshios are
four Shabbosim (plural for Shabbos) on which we have an additional Torah
reading. Every one of these four Torah readings addresses a specific theme that
relates to the energy of that Shabbos. This week is the third of the Four
Parshios, on which we will read the additional Parsha of the "Red Heifer". I
would like to explore the reason we read this Parsha and how this affects our
rhythm. We will begin our exploration with understanding what the Red Heifer
is.
There is a concept in Torah called tumah which is a state of being that a person finds himself when he
comes in contact with a body of a deceased person. The closest explanation I
can find to describe this state is to identify it as a form of spiritual
contamination. For this reason when one is in a state of tumah he may not participate in the services of the Bais Hamikdosh
(Temple).
How does one purify himself or perhaps cleanse himself from
his tumah? That was the role of the
Red Heifer. In the Parsha of the Red Heifer the Torah instructs us to prepare
this cow and mix its ashes in water and sprinkle the water on the one who is in
the state of tumah.
One of the most important components of the holiday of
Pesach (Passover) is the eating of the sacrificial lamb. Without participating
in the lamb, one has not properly fulfilled the holiday of Pesach. (As long as
the Temple is
not rebuilt we have no obligation to bring this sacrifice.) With the holiday of
Pesach approaching it was incumbent upon every Jew to purify themselves from
any tumah so that they would be able
to participate in the lamb.
With the holiday of Pesach less than a month away we read
the Parsha of the Red Heifer in order to remind us of the need to purify
ourselves before the Pesach. This is the reason for our reading this Parsha
tomorrow.
We have touched the surface of why we read this Parsha this
week. However, we need to delve deeper if we wish to find how this affects the
rhythm of the Jew. What is the lesson that is being taught and how does it
prepare us for the approaching holiday of Pesach? Another valid question we may
ask is why do we read this Parsha today when there is no Temple and there is no sacrificial lamb? We
have no need today to purify ourselves before the Pesach holiday?
We can often find this deeper level exposed in the words of
the prophets that we will read in the synagogues tomorrow. The prophet
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) tells his people in the name of HaShem "I shall take you
from the nations and gather you in from all the countries and I shall bring you
to your Land; and I shall sprinkle purifying water on you that you will be
cleansed. From all your contamination and from all your filth I will cleanse you.
I shall give you a new heart, and a new spirit shall I put in you..."
Behold! Ezekiel is drawing the metaphor of the purifying
water of the Red Heifer as the means by which HaShem will purify His people in
the Messianic period. Surely, HaShem will not sprinkle the water of the Red
Heifer on His people.
Water is used in many places in Torah as a metaphor for
humility. The reason for this is because water always moves to the lowest
place. It is always flowing down.
Spiritual contamination occurs the moment a person detaches
his existence from his Creator. When one begins to think that he is self
sufficient and does not need the constant gift of life bestowed upon him by his
Creator he becomes spiritually contaminated. Arrogance, too, occurs the moment
one begins to think that he is independent of HaShem. So long as a person maintains a consciousness
of his absolute dependence on HaShem's gift of life to him he will maintain a
strong sense of humility as well. Whether he is rich or beautiful or even intelligent
he will recognize that all those gifts were bestowed upon him by HaShem. They
are not intrinsic qualities that he possesses on his own.
It is true that today in 5770 / 2010 we celebrate Pesach
without the purifying waters of the Red Heifer. However, to properly gain from
the energy of Pesach we need to recognize that it was HaShem who took us out of
Egyptian bondage. Without HaShem's intervention the Jewish people would never
have come into existence. This recognition is necessary today as much as it was
necessary when we had the Temple.
So when we read the Parsha of the Red Heifer tomorrow in the
synagogue we must open ourselves to the purifying water that HaShem promised to
sprinkle on us whereby He promised "I
shall give you a new heart, and a new spirit shall I put in you..."
If we are open to recognize our absolute dependence on His
Graciousness then in fact we will be receive a new heart and a new spirit will
be put in us.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind
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Next Upcoming Melave Malka
Harold Gans
Date: Saturday evening, March 13
Time: 8:30 - 10:00
Location: home of the
Malchevsky's
(3002 Lightfoot Drive
21208)
What: Melave Malka
Featured Speaker: Mr. Harold Gans
Topic:
Searching for G.D in a Test Tube
Who: YOU, of course, and that Jewish friend you wanted to introduce to
Achim.
Mr. Gans was a Senior Cryptologic Mathematician with the National
Security Agency, United States Department of Defense until his retirement after
28 years of service. While there, he received the prestigious Meritorious
Civilian Service award for research. Mr. Gans is currently a mathematical
consultant and international lecturer throughout North America, Israel, Australia
and South Africa.
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Mom's Workshop
Our Workshop got off to a beautiful start. The next session will meet in two weeks.
The topic of discussion will be holding down the house while preparing for the holiday of Pesach.
Date: Monday evening, March 8 (Zhensky praznik)
Time: 8:45 - 9:45 pm
Location: the Mikeladze home (6807
Park Heights Ave. apt. 3I)
If you have any questions call me at 443.286.9338 or
paysach@achim.org.
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Хасидская притча
Раби Пинхас из Кореца говорил:
- Некоторые думают, что ребе должен
уберечь их от грехов, должен быть им сторожем. А я говорю, что только разум
охраняет человека и нет сторожа, кроме разума. Ребенку нужна няня, скотине -
пастух, безумному - охрана. Взрослому разумному человеку сторож не нужен А если
не дай Б-г, нет у него разума - чем поможет ему ребе?!
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Gemara Class
Weekly class in Russian language
The Talmud is the exposition and clarification of the Oral Torah. Talmud and Gemara are interchangeable terms for this work. So much of classic Jewish literature is built on the teachings of the Talmud. Children 13 years old as well 80-year rabbis study this ancient text. It engages the mind and activates the thinking process in a very deep way.
Monday evenings from 8:00 - 9:00 Dr. Michael Keidar gives a class on Gemara (Talmud) in Russian. This class is designed to accommodate people with limited background in Torah study.
Dr. Keidar gives the class at the Baltimore Community Kollel (3800 Labyrinth Road 21215)
If you are interested in participating or have questions contact Dr. Keidar at keidar@gwu.edu. |
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Parsha Class
Weekly Class in Russian Language
The Torah carries within it many messages. Every Shabbos is assigned its own special portion that is read in the synagogue. This weekly portion is called the Parsha. The lessons and insights that are packed with the Parsha are timeless as they are profound.
Tuesday evenings 8:00 - 9:00 Dr. Michael Keidar presents insights on the weekly Parsha in the Russian language. Participation does not require any background in Jewish education.
Dr. Keidar gives the class at the Baltimore Community Kollel (3800 Labyrinth Road 21215)
If you are interested in participating or have questions contact Dr. Keidar at keidar@gwu.edu. |
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Sunday morning @ Milbrook
Shachris service
Every Sunday morning we have a morning prayer service followed by tasty donuts with coffee and lively discussions with insights on the weekly Parsha dealing with relevant applications.
People who need to recite kaddish but are embarrassed to do so will feel comfortable at our service. We provide help and support in reciting kaddish in a friendly atmosphere.
Sunday morning schedule
Service 8:00 - 9:00
For kaddish be there no later than 8:45
Donuts, coffee and discussion 9:00 - 9:45
Everyone is welcome
Special prayers are recited by the minyan for sick members of the community. If you have someone you wish to be mentioned contact me at paysach@achim.org .
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Hebrew Literacy Level II
This class ran its six sessions
and is currently not running.
If you are interested in creating a new class
please contact me at 443.286.9338 or paysach@achim.org
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Weekly Women's Class
Continuing professional education
The Jewish woman has many responsibilities, each of which is critical to their family and to their people as whole. We can define the position of Jewish womanhood as requiring a degree in culinary arts, psychology, clinical social work, business management, human resources and education. In addition to this list, a comprehensive background in Jewish law comes in handy.
As with every profession, Jewish womanhood requires Continuing Professional Education. Achim is very fortunate to have Mrs. Tamar Englander who is an outstanding member of this elite class of Jewish Women. Tamar conducts a weekly class that provides motivational and educational approaches to practical Jewish womanhood. A sampling of the areas that are covered in her classes include perspectives on Shabbat, dealing with the challenges of stress that find themselves in life, cooking with a touch of spirituality, child rearing, marital relationships and many more.
Every Wednesday evening from 8:30 - 9:30 Tamar conducts this class at her home, 6307 Wirt Avenue 21215. All women are invited to participate in this group.
Please contact paysach@achim.org if you wish to join. |
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Mesilas Yeshorim / Path of the Just
This class meets Wednesday's twice a month.
Our next session:
Date: Wednesday evening,
March 17
Time: 8:00 - 9:00
Location: Home of Alla and Joseph Kovalerchik (101 Clarendon Road 21208)
In our next session we will conclude Chapter 1.
If you wish to join contact me at
paysach@achim.org.
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