28 Tammuz 5777 Parshat Mattot-Masei July 15, 2017 THE OR CHAIM MINYAN BULLETIN Shabbat Schedule Friday Evening: Mincha: Candle Lighting Shabbat Day: Ezer Diena Shiur: Shacharit: Jewnior Games: Bnei Akiva Rabbi Jay Kelman Shiur: Mincha: Maariv: Shabbat Ends: Weekday Schedule Shacharit Sunday: 7:45 am Monday-Friday: 6:20 am Mincha/Maariv: Sunday-Thursday: 8:35 pm Dvar Torah Joseph Gitler Shiur R. Gemara Kiddush Toranut July 22: Satok & Schneider July 29: Schwartz & Shore August 5: Shour & Shumacher August 12: Weiss & Sone 7:00 pm 8:35 pm 7:45 am 8:30 am Cancelled Cancelled 7:25 pm 8:25 pm 9:30 pm 9:37 pm KIDDUSH Kiddush is sponsored by David and Sarena Koschitzky in honour of the 60th wedding anniversary of Saul and Mira Koschitzky. Baruch Dayan HaEmet We regret to inform you of the passing of Ben Grossman, Bentzion ben Shmuel a"h, husband of Rivka Grossman, son in law of Heshy & Esther Sturm, father of Arielle and Avinoam. The L'vayah was in Los Angeles on Monday July 17. K'vurah will be in Eretz Yisrael. Shivah will be observed in Los Angeles. Or Chaim Board of Directors Announcement The Or Chaim Minyan Board of Directors had their meeting this week and have elected Alan Simon as the President. The Board also wishes to express their appreciation and thank you to Sam Stochinsky for his dedicated service. Please note that Minyan members are reminded to leave the shul if they wish to talk. Gabbayim will be stopping services as needed to ensure decorum. Minyan members are also reminded that they must attend Toranut when it is their turn. Toranut OnePager clarification will be produced and introduced shortly. The Minyan is also looking for volunteers to run the Shmini Azeret lunch. If you are interested, please contact Allan Simon. Page 1
Jewnior Games Toranut Cancelled for the summer Or Chaim Minyan: 159 Almore Avenue Toronto, Ontario M3H 2H9 President Alan Simon Gabbayim Steve Frenkiel Dan Rabinovitch Mark Ross Kiddush Coordinator Anita Bromberg Toranut Coordinator Rhona Grodzinski Education/Shiurim: Jeffrey Dorfman Leining Coordinator: Daniel Grodzinski Bulletin Editor: Jonathan Samson Kids Program: Dovid Zlochower King in the North: Alan Simon Board Members: Aharon Kagedan Yisrael Dov Meyer Barry Pakes Alan Simon Lori Stochinsky Sam Stochinsky Dovid Zlochower Or Chaim Possible Move to Lake Ontario (for a few hours ) We are looking into chartering a boat (the Jubilee Queen) for an evening cruise of Lake Ontario either Sunday September 3 or Monday September 4 (Labour Day). It would be about 4 hours and we estimate that the cost, including a light supper, will be about $50 per person. We need to know if there is sufficient interest, so if you think that you would go (if you are in town), please let us know which date works best for you and how many in your group. Also, feel free to make suggestions about format of the cruise and food. Better yet - feel free to volunteer to help. Please reply, the sooner the better, to Sam Stochinsky (stochinsky@rogers.com) or Arnie Niederhoffer (at fniederhoffer@yahoo.com). If you have any questions, join our minyan or would like to book an event, please send an email to orchaimminyan@gmail.com Page 2
Mattot: Split in Half DVAR TORAH Thought of the Week by Rabbi Jay Kelman The centrality of the land of Israel is a basic tenet of Jewish thought, so much so that our Sages note that mitzvoth performed outside the land of Israel are little more than practice; similar to an exhibition game, where we prepare for the real thing. Our Sages are not referring to those mitzvoth which are dependent on the Land, those that cannot possibly be practiced outside of Israel, but those mitzvoth that seemingly have little to do with the Land; in fact, the comment of the Sages is actually made regarding the mitzvah of tefillin (see Rashi on Devarim 11:18, a verse we say twice a day). Ironically and tragically, classical secular Zionism turned this notion upside down, claiming that the mitzvoth were only relevant in exile; positing that, now that we are home, they can be discarded. Yet all agree that Israel is the ideal place for a Jew. Nonetheless, many find the ideal too difficult to maintain, and for some there are mitigating circumstances that render life outside the Land the preferred course of action. The question of how to determine where to live one's life is not a new one. The tribes of Reuven and Gad approached Moshe with a request to remain outside the land of Israel. Although greatly disappointed, Moshe Rabbeinu acquiesced with some conditions to their request. It is striking, therefore, that Moshe would then instruct an additional tribe, that of Menashe, to join Reuven and Gad on the east bank of the Jordan. "And Moshe gave the Gilead to Machir the son of Menashe, and he lived there" (32:40). Why would Moshe want to encourage more Jews to live in the Diaspora? Reuven and Gad were focused primarily on their material wellbeing; "they saw that Yaazer and Gilead were good for livestock" (32:1). Moshe was legitimately fearful for the future of these two tribes. Would their children remain Jews? After all, in their request to Moshe to settle in Jordan, they spoke only of their cattle, with no mention of their children. Moshe wanted to ensure that Reuven and Gad would continue to have spiritual role models. By insisting that Menashe dwell with them, he was hoping that Reuven and Gad would be encouraged to remain an integral part of the Jewish people. It was Joseph who was the first to navigate a successful life in the Diaspora with complete fidelity to his family heritage. And his children, Menashe and Ephraim, were the first to grow up outside the land of Israel. Despite the allure of Egypt, they too remained faithful to their heritage. It is for this reason that we bless our children each week with the blessing, "May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe" (Breisheet 48:20), a prayer that we live committed Jewish lives even when detached Page 3
from our Land. Thus, it was the children of Joseph who were most suited to the task of spiritual guidance. The Netziv (Bamidbar 2:20) notes that, in the first counting of the Jewish people, Ephraim, the younger son of Joseph, is mentioned first; while at the second census (taken as they were about to enter the Land), the order is reversed. The Netziv explains this anomaly by noting that in the desert, the Jewish people lived a supernatural life, one based on miracles. There were no material concerns in the desert, and thus Ephraim, as the more "spiritual" of the brothers, is mentioned first. However, upon entry into the land of Israel, overt miracles would cease, life would be much more natural, and the Jewish people would need to work for their sustenance. In such an environment, Menashe, as the worldlier of the brothers, would lead. Menashe, more than the unworldly, studious Ephraim, could relate to the materialism of Reuven and Gad, while simultaneously demonstrating how material goals can be anchored in Torah. In fact, the Netziv notes (Devarim 3:20) that the tribe of Menashe would go on to produce many great Torah scholars. But why did Moshe send only half the tribe? Why divide the tribe of Menashe? The greatest threat to the Jewish people is the drifting away from each other, something that is uppermost in our minds as we enter the three weeks. This drifting apart, this creeping apathy towards our fellow Jew, is the classic meaning of sinnat chinam. By keeping half a tribe in Israel and sending half to live in the Diaspora, a connection can be maintained between the two. Families will travel back and forth, and will discover that they care deeply for their fellow Jews living in other countries. (I thank Rabbi Gemara for this idea) Furthermore, creativity requires the ability to see beyond one's own four cubits; living only in the narrow confines of one world can stifle growth and breed intolerance. Having a representative tribe based both in Israel and beyond leads to a cross-fertilization of ideas, encouraging the spiritual growth of all involved. Thankfully, the Jewish population has been steadily increasing in the land of Israel over the last 100 years, so that today, approximately one-half of world Jewry lives in the State of Israel. For the benefit of Jews everywhere, we must see ourselves as one family split into two segments, caring deeply for each other and sharing the best of each of our respective worlds. May we soon see the day when the vast majority of world Jewry dwells in the land of Israel, exporting Torah ki mitzion teze Torah yet willing to import the best that the Diaspora has to offer. Shabbat Shalom! Page 4
Mother & Daughter Bat Mitzvah Program JEWISH WOMEN THROUGH THE AGES Wednesdays, November 1, 2017 to January 24, 2018 no class December 20 - January 3 7:00-9:00pm A Bat Mitzvah is an opportunity for a girl to prepare for her entry into Jewish adulthood by exploring what it means to be a Jewish woman. The aim of the Matan Bat Mitzvah program, Jewish Women Through the Ages, is to see how we, as Jewish women, are part of a chain across the generations, and how the Bat Mitzvah can serve as a bridge connecting the young girl to Jewish continuity. The program consists of ten sessions during which mothers and daughters study sources together about Jewish women throughout history. The women studied in the program were selected because they embody positive attributes and values from which the girls can learn. Highlights: 10 two-hour sessions for mothers and daughters Each session includes textual Torah study (sources in Hebrew and English) A creative activity in each session Each girl is encouraged to prepare a special Woman of Valour project based on a biblical personality, a woman studied or an inspiring woman in her life Closing celebration The program is led by Shira Cantor Katchen. Shira holds a BA from Brandeis University in Fine Arts and Hebrew and a Masters of Teaching degree from OISE (U of T). Shira teaches in the elementary school system in Toronto and brings much experience in informal education from her many years in camp where she teaches art and connects that to Jewish themes. Shira and her husband served as the Jewish chaplaincy couple at Oxford University. For registration information visit torahinmotion.org מכון תורני לנשים ע"ש שרה בת יצחק יעקב רעננערט The Sadie Rennert Women s Institute for Torah Studies www.torahinmotion.org 416. 633.5770 info@torahinmotion.org Page 5
A Special Request from a wonderful family who spent four years at Or Chaim בס''ד Dear and beloved Or-Chaim family For a very long time that we want to write you a letter, and lately that will has got stronger and stronger. It has been almost 9 years since we have been lucky enough to be a part of your so unique community. Meanwhile, the kids have grown up, thanks Hashem, and each time that we read the Or-Chaim bulletin, we get very glad and excited to hear about another wedding or a Brit of your precious kids, that not a long time ago have learned with us in the Ulpena and in the Yeshiva. Thanks Hashem, our kids also keep growing-up; Elroie has finished his military service at the Air Force. He was involved with the computers field there. Talor is an intelligence officer, also in the Air Force. Shoam serves in an elite squad of the Intelligence Force and Orchen is about to start her studies in high-school. During the military service of our kids, as you probably know, there are some difficulties to face. Unfortunately, it happens not once and not twice. Tironut, several weeks away from home and the fact that our children face an inflexible system that not always can consider their personal needs, makes life tough for them as soldiers. In the course of these years, while watching my children handle those terms, I have found myself wondering not once about how you, my dear brothers and sisters, deal with it all to send a kid for a whole year, or even more, to Israel for learning or serving the country, while you stay over there. How do you succeed to free your mind from all the worries regarding your wonderful kids before you go to sleep? Where do you gain those awesome powers for such a complicated mission from? And then I recall the tears and an enormous excitement that fill you every time you hear the pair of the words: Medinat Israel. Your huge love for the country creates a spiritual bridge that connects you directly to this land, as you were physically here for the whole time. The Independence Day prayer, The Jerusalem Day party and other exciting celebrations, remind me just how much you are so connected to everything that goes down over here. After all that, it's impossible not to appreciate your endless devotion for the country of ours all. The only thing that we are left to say is that we admire you for who you are. We are asking for your forgiveness that this year we haven't been available enough to keep in touch like in the past years. Thanks Hashem, we are now done renovate of our new home in Beer-Sheba, the city of the avot more than a year, and we would be extremely glad to have you as our guests here. (29 tabenkin beer sheva) A lot of times we gather around and recall the magnificent experiences we have had together in Canada and we deeply believe that the time we have been alongside with you is a very significant period in our family's life. We all love you a lot. We are glad to be a part of your joy from down here to hear about the smachot of your beloved children we just learend with in the ulpena and the yesiva a few years ago, and sometimes, unfortunately, to share you bitterness. Even if weren't able to call or send an email on the appropriate time, please don't get mad in our heart, we are always with you. Beloved and dear friends, we want to wish you a great and blessed summer that, with the help of Hashem, will be full of joy and great experiences for all of you there in the amazing Or-Chaim community. Waiting to see you soon here, in the city of our avot. Love. Zivit, Ori, Elroie, Talor, Shoam and Orchen Worcman Page 6