Congregation Agudath Jacob

February Shevat/Adar 5777 Rabbi: Ben-Zion Lanxner Phone: 254-772-1451 Fax: 254-772-2471 Rabbi@agudath-waco.org Congregation Agudath Jacob www.agudath-waco.org President: Jeff Levin Office Admin: Amanda Henson Cajassistant@grandecom.net This bulletin is published twelve times per year by Congregation Agudath Jacob a non profit organization. Founded in 1888 Celebrating 128 years Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Rabbi Ben-Zion Lanxner Thank G-d, B H, we have another great and fun holiday just around the corner. As you know, Jews like to celebrate as many holidays as possible, so that we can serve G-d more intensely, more deeply with more Kavanah and with more joy. As Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav use to say Mitzvah Gedolah Liheyot BeSimchah Tamid, It is a big Mitzvah to be joyful/happy, all the time the more celebrations, the more opportunities to be in a happy state of mind. Hanukkah seems already so far away, and during the month of January we did not have any particular holiday to celebrate, so now that Tu B shvat is coming this February 11, 2017, we are very happy to inform you that with the help of our new Programming Committee headed by Judy Hersh, we are going to celebrate together a Tu B shvat Seder/Luncheon after our regular Shabbat services. Let me go to the source of this wonderful and exciting holiday. Tu B Shvat is first mentioned in the Mishnah where it is listed as one of the four New Years in the Jewish calendar (Rosh HaShanah 1:1). Specifically, it relates to the mitzvah of tithing produce. According to the Torah, before the fruits of our labors can be enjoyed, certain gifts have to be given and shared with the Kohanim, (priests) Levi im (Levites) and the poor. Each year requires particular gifts and since different fruits blossom and produce at varying times of the year, Tu B Shvat marks the New Year for trees in regard to which year the fruit is considered. Over the years, Tu B Shvat became the traditional day to show our appreciation and love of the land of Israel in particular and the beautiful natural world in general. It is an ancient custom to eat fruit on this day, especially the fruits of the land of Israel. According to tradition it is on this day that the sap, or life force, begins to rise in the tree as it begins to prepare to bring forth new leaves, buds and fruit. In the 1500 s, the city of Safed became a magnet for Torah scholars and Kabbalists. It was during this time that a ritual Seder of Tu B Shvat was created. Modeled after the Seder of Pesach, it became a potent vehicle for understanding the holiness of the land of Israel and our deep connection to the land. This Seder, which was known till recently only to Kabbalists, has become very popular in our generation and is the inspirational basis of a wide range of Tu B Shvat Sedarim formulated by Jews of all backgrounds. In modern times, this date has become a traditional day to plant trees in the land of Israel. In the Diaspora, it is a time to collect money for trees to be planted in Israel. With an increasing level of understanding as to the

importance of ecology and the environment, Tu B Shvat also serves as the Jewish earth day. More than ever, Israel, and particularly, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) needs our support, as you may recall the horrible pictures coming from Israel just a couple of months ago, showing the devastation caused by so many fires which destroyed thousands of acres of precious trees. The fires might be over, but now the work of the JNF has just begun and we are encouraging every member to purchase at least one tree for the symbolic price of $18.00 made to the Waco Jewish Federation who will arrange with the JNF for the trees to be planted in Israel. As a Holy Congregation, I believe it would be so appropriate to reach the goal of 100 trees. As each and every one of us would donate at least 1 or 2 trees, we will without any doubt reach well over our initial goal. To encourage you to do your best, I will start by donating 10 trees, $180.00, in memory of my dear daughter, Tiferet Chaya ztz l bat Rav Ben-Zion vesara. There are now only 90 trees left to reach our goal. I know we can do it. It is a very important Mitzvah, because it gives us the opportunity to be partners in the building of Eretz Israel, the Land of Israel. When looking at various sources in the Torah, Midrash, Talmud and Maimonides, one is struck by how much is recorded as law in our tradition regarding protecting the land, regulating its use, preserving the earth and animal species from wanton destruction, and people from the hazards of water, air and noise pollution. Along with these laws is imparted an overall world view of love and reverence for the earth in general and the land of Israel in particular. This day can be used to deepen our knowledge of what the written and oral Torah reveal regarding these very vital and contemporary issues. Tu B Shvat, which literally means the 15th day of the month of Shvat, is a full moon. One month later on the full moon is Purim (Shushan Purim) and exactly one month later on the full moon is the holiday of Pesach. These holidays coming one after the other on three successive full moons symbolize both the very beginning of spring, as well as the welling up of the forces of redemption. Coming out of Egypt and slavery to a state of freedom is intimately connected to the transition of nature from a state of hibernation and inaction to one of rebirth and rejuvenation. The sap rising in the tree on Tu B Shvat represents the initial point of the process, climaxing in our personal and national redemption from the narrow confines of Egypt on Pesach. Who is the wise one he who sees the Nolad. The word Nolad comes from the root to be born and alludes to the sliver of the new moon. The wise one is he or she who sees in the initial appearance of a situation that which will ultimately transpire. Just as one cannot detect from the exterior the sap rising from the roots to the trunk of a tree, so too, for the individual, the arousal of new spiritual energy on Tu B Shvat begins from the deepest point of pure potential in the soul and slowly rises up till fully revealed as new spiritual energy ready for actualization on Pesach. From the above explanation, we can understand an answer to the age-old question as to why the reading of the weekly portion of the Torah relating to the exodus from Egypt is not read in the spring time at the time of Pesach, as might be expected, but rather in January or February, depending on the year. On closer inspection though we see that the portion in which Israel crosses the Sea and the pursuing Egyptians are drowned, the culminating act of the liberation from Egypt, always comes out the week of Tu B Shvat!! This alludes to the essential connection between these two holidays. Another association between the three successive full moon holidays is that of wine. Central to the Tu B Shvat Seder is drinking four cups of wine (or grape juice). We begin with white wine representing winter, hibernation and exile and add increasing amounts of red wine each succeeding cup till spring, rebirth

and redemption are represented by red wine. On Purim, of course, we drink wine (and lots of it) to celebrate our deliverance from the evil designs of Haman and then culminate the process with the four cups of wine on Pesach when we celebrate our redemption from Egypt. The Talmud teaches: wine goes in and the secret comes out (Eruvin 65a). In a certain sense, we can relate to the wine of these three holidays as the sap of new spiritual energy rising from the most hidden secret level of our souls, until its full potential is revealed in our truly feeling we are personally coming out of our own Egypt, our own narrow psychological and spiritual straits. We are taught that there are seventy faces to the Torah ( Zohar 3:249b).The word for wine in Hebrew, yayin, in Gematria, numerology, equals seventy, as does the word sod, secret. The statement wine goes in and the secret comes out, can be understood to mean that the proper consumption of wine with the right spiritual intentions draws forth from within us new and inspirational insights into the seventy face of Torah, the inner, secret dimensions of the Torah. The comparisons we have been making between the process of personal renewal, the rebirth of nature and new insights of Torah is explained beautifully by the Kabbalists, who point out that both man and the Torah are compared to a tree. The Torah (Deuteronomy 20:19) compares a man to the tree of the field and in our prayers when returning the Torah to the Ark, where we refer to the Torah as a tree of life for all those who grasp on to it (Proverbs 3:18). Just as a tree is comprised of roots, trunk, branches and fruit, so too does man and Torah conceptually have these same components. The roots of man (here we refer to Israel as the archetypal man as taught by our Sages) refers to our Fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and our Mothers: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. They rooted us as a people deeply in the land of Israel. The trunk corresponds to the full body of all the archetypal souls of Israel who left Egypt, received the Torah and entered the land of Israel. The branches represent the tribes and the individual tribe members as they spread out from each other in the land and even more so during the Diaspora. The fruits are the Mitzvot and good deeds performed by each Jew. The roots of the Torah are the inner, hidden secrets of the Torah concealed below the surface. The trunk of the Torah relates to the main body of written and oral Torah as revealed at Sinai, while the branches relate to the different and diverse methods and schools of interpretation, along with each individual s unique perspective of Torah. The fruits are new insights, sweet and nourishing, which are revealed to those who devote themselves to the study of Torah. Reb Shlomo Carlebach, in reference to the hidden potential and holiness of each Jew used to say: What do we know, what do we know. He once taught that the headquarters of this concept is Tu B shvat, where a tree the day after Tu B Shvat looks just like it did the day before we don t see anything perceptibly different. But what do we know of what is moving deep within the heart and mind of an individual, unrevealed to our critical eyes? We should all be blessed to go deep within ourselves on Tu B Shvat and rediscover all our potential for holiness and let it flow once again. May we hold on to our Torah which is truly a tree of life and recognize our deep roots in the Holy Land and our eternal connection to G-d and the Jewish people. May G-d bless you, may G-d bless the Holy Land and the Jewish people. Amen Rabbi Ben-Zion Lanxner

February Service Schedule Friday, February 3 Friday, February 17 Candle Lighting 5:48 p.m. Candle Lighting Saturday, February 4 Saturday, February 18 Shabbat Ends 6:44 p.m. Shabbat Ends Friday, February 10 Friday, February 24 Candle Lighting 5:54 p.m. Candle Lighting Saturday, February 11 Saturday, February 25 Shabbat Ends 6:50 p.m. Shabbat Ends 6:55 p.m. 6:05 p.m. 7:00 p.m. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8 at February 1 Jeff Wolf February 3 Debbie Hersh February 10 Jennifer Hacker February 13 Kerry Wolpo February 15 Larry Taub February 17 Jeff Levin February 19 Norman Goldberg February 22 Rick Bauer Florence Hersh February 24 Lea Steele Levin February 29 Jarrod Harelik Mazel Tov on your Bat Mitzvah, Emily Rogers Food from the Faithful We will bring Cereals & pastas on an on-going basis. Please bring packages throughout the year and Susan Silver will see that they are delivered to Caritas Norman Lewis Shanna Rogers David & Lesley Rosen Jaece Rogers Robert & Gayle Monta Bryan & Carol Sedberry Harold & Chava Kamenetsky

February 3 Mr. & Mrs. Harold Kamenetsky February 15 Mr. & Mrs. Steven Schwarz February 19 Mr. & Mrs. Benjy Bauer Get Well Gloria Yoder Sandra Kay Jackson Steve & Lilia Schwarz Frances Novy Stanley Novy David Novy Arthur Rubel Phyllis Ruttenberg Akmal Rina Ruttenberg Harold & Chava Kamenetsky Jeff & Colleen Wolf Brent & Dianne demoville Robert & Gayle Monta Isadore Fred Herbert Fred David Brickman Bobbye Brickman Itzak Lavi Cochavah bat Saida Lavi Craig & Lydia Hoffman Security Fund Donors Cal Goldberg Bobbye Brickman Ilsa Burns Brent & Dianne demoville Margaret Birch Jerry & Candee Gerson Javis Howeth Bobbye Brickman Norm & Margie Goldberg Melvin Lipsitz Tu B Shevat In celebration of Tu B Shevat, CAJ will have a light lunch & special short Seder on February 11, 2017, immediately following the morning service. Please mark your calendars and RSVP to the office by Wednesday, February 8 th if you plan to attend. There is no charge for the celebration, although donations to the shul to help cover associated expenses are appreciated.

Shabbat Donations December 31 Brent & Dianne demoville Jeff & Lea Levin Steve & Lilia Schwarz January 14 George & Kathleen Keller Brent & Dianne demoville Mike & Cindy Perry Larry & Joie McNabb Jake & Simone Bauer January 28 Jerry & Candee Gerson Ilsa Burns Jake & Simone Bauer January 7 Jerry & Candee Gerson Henry & Hope Hacker Gloria Yoder January 21 George & Kathleen Keller Larry & Joie McNabb Miguel Perez Special Opportunity As you may be aware, recent fires in Israel have destroyed many thousands of trees in The Land. In celebration of the upcoming holiday of Tu B Shevat, we are offering a simple way to have one or more trees planted in Israel on your behalf. Each tree is $18. Contributions may be made to the Waco Jewish Federation, who will arrange with the Jewish National Fund for the trees to be planted in Israel. A form will be provided in the upcoming weekly announcements for you to fill out with your order.

HOW TO OBSERVE THE YAHRZEIT It is traditional to kindle a Yahrzeit Candle in the home on the evening Yahrzeit begins. It should remain lighted until sunset the next day. Possible prayer before lighting a Yahrzeit candle: Eternal God, I/we light this candle in memory of (name), my/our beloved (relationship). The light of the flame rekindles all the warm memories of the moment we shared together, and reassures me /us that a piece of his/her soul dwells in my/our heart(s) forever. May his/her soul be bound up with the bonds of eternal life. Amen. Candles are available at the Gift Shop. Every effort should be made to say Kaddish at congregational services. It is meritorious to perform some Mitzvah or to contribute to the synagogue in commemoration of the deceased. Kaddish will be read on February 3 Shevat 7 Morris Hoffman Diane Koss Shevat 8 Dave Lebowitz Shevat 9 Florence Rubinsky Abe Miller Jeanette Schein William Atlas Shevat 10 Shevat 11 Mrs. N. Suravitz Abe Hoffman Fay Goldberg A. Brickman Mrs. H.B. Cohen Sam Genecov Chaim Goodman B. Levinson Shevat 12 Morris Braunston Albert Shifrin Shevat 13 Arthur Levy Phillip H. Robinson Esther Wolf Joe Zoblotsky David Begal Kaddish will be read on February 10 Shevat 14 Shevat 15 Shevat 16 Shevat 17 Shevat 18 Shevat 19 Shevat 20 Rose Beerman Mrs. Jake Berkman Manuel Harris Max Harelik Naomi Stein Betty Safan Joe Statman Anna Kroll Nathan Salpeter Florence Cohen Pearl Wolpo Bessie Tannenbaum Sarah Lebowitz Doris Sprecher Silver Mrs. M. Cohen Meyer Hoffman Fannie Mark Louis Kantrovich Margaret Hoffman Kaddish will be read on February 17 Shevat 21 Jeanette Levy Lemson Sam Israel Jacob D. Aronson Shevat 22 Shevat 23 Shevat 24 Shevat 25 Hymie Greenspan Esther Anna Gulman Frances Segal Issie Polonsky Sadie Schaevitz Naomi Smith Ann Chodorow Sam Greenberg Raven Jornitsky Mark Harris Bernard Stewart Zelig Feldt Ben Koffman Barney Brickman Bertha Genecov Miller Shevat 26 Bella Levy Shevat 27 Sam Harelik Gertie Kantrovich Dave Knobler Abe Novich Kaddish will be read on February 24 Shevat 28 Shevat 29 Shevat 30 Adar 1 Adar 2 Adar 4 Jacob Wolf Mrs. B. Coopersmith Mrs. I.F. Aronson Miriam Salpeter Esther Anna Gulman Sharon Lee Slutsky Bert Gardner Mrs. B. Levinson Harmon McNabb, Jr. William Chernoff Naomi Levy Nathan Zidman Tama Settle Hyman Herzlich Anne Goodman Deyo Cecelia Dreyfus William Ruttenberg Sam Wolstein

February 2017 5 Shevat 5777-2 Adar 5777 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 7:33AM/5:46PM 7:32AM/5:47PM 7:31AM/5:48PM 1 2 3 4 4:30 p.m. 5:30PM 7:30AM/5:50PM 6:35PM 5 Shevat 6 Shevat 7 Shevat 8 Shevat Bava Basra 10 Bava Basra 11 Bava Basra 12 Bava Basra 13 7:29AM/5:51PM 7:28AM/5:52PM 7:26AM/5:53PM 7:25AM/5:54PM 7:24AM/5:56PM 7:23AM/5:57PM 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sunday Minyan & Class 4:30 p.m. Board Meeting 5:39PM 7:22AM/5:58PM 6:43PM Tu B'Shevat Tu B'Shevat Seder Following service 9 Shevat 10 Shevat 11 Shevat 12 Shevat 13 Shevat 14 Shevat 15 Shevat Bava Basra 14 Bava Basra 15 Bava Basra 16 Bava Basra 17 Bava Basra 18 Bava Basra 19 Bava Basra 20 7:20AM/5:59PM 7:19AM/6:01PM 7:18AM/6:02PM 7:17AM/6:03PM 7:15AM/6:04PM 7:14AM/6:05PM 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Sunday Minyan & Class 4:30 p.m. 5:47PM 7:13AM/6:07PM 6:52PM 16 Shevat 17 Shevat 18 Shevat 19 Shevat 20 Shevat 21 Shevat 22 Shevat Bava Basra 21 Bava Basra 22 Bava Basra 23 Bava Basra 24 Bava Basra 25 Bava Basra 26 Bava Basra 27 7:11AM/6:08PM 7:10AM/6:09PM 7:08AM/6:10PM 7:07AM/6:11PM 7:06AM/6:13PM 7:04AM/6:14PM 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Sunday Minyan & Class 4:30 p.m. 5:56PM 7:03AM/6:15PM 7:00PM 23 Shevat 24 Shevat 25 Shevat 26 Shevat 27 Shevat 28 Shevat 29 Shevat Bava Basra 28 Bava Basra 29 Bava Basra 30 Bava Basra 31 Bava Basra 32 Bava Basra 33 Bava Basra 34 26 27 28 7:01AM/6:16PM 7:00AM/6:17PM 6:58AM/6:18PM Rosh Hodesh I Sunday Minyan & Class Rosh Hodesh II 30 Shevat 1 Adar 2 Adar Bava Basra 35 Bava Basra 36 Bava Basra 37 [ Candle Lighting, Observance End, Printed January 30, 2017/3 Shevat 5777 for Canton, Ohio]