July 29, 2011 Parashat Mas’ei
S.T.A.R. News & Events
Here are S.T.A.R.’s upcoming exciting events:
August 16-18 Join the STAR teem for an unforgettable Camping trip. Registeration will close on Aug. 8th, 2011.
This Shabbat
Shabbat Parashat: MAS’EI
Candle Lighting: 7:38pm
Shabbat Ends: 8:41pm
Torah Message
A Matchless Matchmaker
"When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan, you shall designate cities for yourselves, cities of refuge…" (35:10-11)
Not long ago, the much-loved wife of a great Rabbi passed away. In due course he was married to a lady many years his junior. The second marriage was also very happy. Someone commented to him that he had been blessed to find such a good second match. "Well," he commented, "you see, I had the best matchmaker in the world." "Oh really, who was that?" asked the other. The Rabbi replied, "Shortly before my first wife, may she rest in peace, passed away, she said to me in the hospital one day, "Yankel, when I pass away, I want you to go to Eretz Yisrael. There’s a great friend of mine who lives in Jerusalem. I’ll give you the address. I want you to marry her. She’s a wonderful person. I can rely on her to look after you properly."
In this week’s reading the Torah mandates the establishment of "cities of refuge". Someone who had killed inadvertently could take refuge in one of these cities and escape the blood avenger of the victim’s family. The Torah chose as the sites of the refuge cities, the cities of the Levi’im. Why? Why did G-d choose the cities of the Levi’im as the cities of refuge?
When someone kills, he doesn’t just kill a person. He kills a son, a brother, a sister, a father, a mother. It’s rare indeed that no one is affected by a murder save the victim himself. Killing someone always has a ripple effect. A relative feels implacable resentment against someone who kills a member of his family. The Levi’im, however, did not react in this way. Since it was G-d’s Will that there should be cities to which accidental murderers could run, they would accept a murderer into their community without any resentment even if they were related to the deceased. Such was their spiritual level that they subordinated their feelings totally to G-d’s Will.
Man is not an animal. Being human means being able to subordinate our instinctive feelings to our higher selves, however difficult it is to imagine being on the level of selflessness of the Levi’im or that rebbetzin on her deathbed. Nevertheless, just knowing that there are people like that in the world may encourage us to be a little less selfish.
For the right match can kindle a lot of light.
Rabbi M. Weiss Rabbi Y. Sakhai
Community News
Em Habanim Congregation
Weekly Parashat Hashavua class with Rabbi Joshua Bittan on Wednesdays at 8:30pm for more info. visit www.emhabanim.com
Em Habanim Congregation’s annual banquet will be held on Sunday the 6th of November, 2011. The honored Guests are: Mark Castiel, Andre Chrique and Johnny Elbaz Deckel.
Em Habanim will be celebrating close to 40 years of service to the community.
Yom Kippur services will be held at the Century Plaza Hyatt Regency in Century City. More details will follow.
Tisha BeAv 5771 World Wide event at Em Habanim:
Tuesday Aug. 9th, 2:30-5:30pm
Join the community for an ispiring series of lectures by world renowned Rabbis:
Harav Aaron Lieb Steinman
Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky
Harav Gamliel Rabinowitz
Harav Yaakov Hillel
Harav Yissochor Frand
Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz
Rabbi Eli Mansour
Dr. David Lieberman
Sephardic Temple:
Talmud Torah registration for the new school year 2011/2012 is ongoing throughout the summer!
Mark your calendars:
Saturday, November 5th, 2011 A Gal celebration honoring the 2011 Sephardic Heritage award recipients Mr. Larry Clumeck and Dr. Samuel Newman.
For more info. visit sephardictemple.org
Sunday September, 3rd, 2011 Annual STTI Family picnic Mar Vista Park 10am -3pm Food, Music, Games and Fun!
Get Well Soon
We wish a speedy recovery for all the Jews that may need it where ever they may be and especially for:
From Sephardic Temple:
Al Azus,Buena Angel,
Elaine Leon,Itzchak Rachmanony
From S.T.A.R.:
Mordechai Chaim Ben Chana, Chaim Ben Buena,
Meshulam Dov Ben Chana Sarah
Bracha Eliza Bat Ehteram, Bracha Sara Chaya Bat Ronit
Condolences
We grieve and mourn together with the nation of Israel the tragic death of the righteous and pious Tzadik Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzira A’H who was murdered in Be’er Sheva. words can not express the sorrow. The eulogy was given today in Jerusalem by the great Rabbis of the generation. Baruch Dayan Haemet.