October 25, 2014 1 Cheshvan, 5775 Shabbat Candle Lighting: 5:46PM Friday Night Mincha: 5:45 PM Morning Services: 9:00 AM Shabbat Mincha & Mussar 5:30PM Shabbat Ends: 6:44 PM
Shabbat Announcements
Shabbat Noach Page 30 (Torah) Page 890 (Maftir) Page 1208 (Haftarah)
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan We extend our deepest sympathies to Geoff Lampel and his family on the passing of his beloved father, Mr. John Lampel.
Thank you to the Sponsors of this Shabbat’s October Shared Kiddush! See the following pages for a list of sponsors.
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Shiva Details - at Mt. Freedom Jewish Center: Sunday 10/26 – 8AM & 5:45PM Monday 10/27 – 8AM
Happy Birthday Rav Menashe! ______________________________________________________________
Happy 80th Birthday Virginia & Morty!
October Birthdays & Anniversaries October Birthdays: Brooke Ginsberg (1st), Leah st
st
Gruss (1 ), Diane Malakoff (1 ), David Pasteelnick nd rd rd (2 ), Elisa Chirnomas (3 ), Marc Cooper (3 ), Alec th th Krosser (5 ), Michael Zeiger (5 ), Leonard Grossman th th th (6 ), Jonathan Saxon (6 ), Martin Welt (7 ), Morton th th Wertheimer (7 ), David Paris (8 ), Jason Waldman th th th (8 ), Ken Bushell (9 ), Brandon Sherman (9 ), Leana th th Silverberg (9 ), Greg Edgell (10 ), Barry Ginsberg th th th (10 ), Marc Beacken (11 ), Larry Weinstein (11 ), th th Alvin Ptalis (12 ), Leslie Levy (13 ), Susan Scheer th th th (13 ), Leah Grossman (14 ), Lori Bradin (15 ), Alyssa th th Hanrahan (15 ), Zev Svirsky (15 ), Zofar Svirsky th th th (15 ), Jay Sweifach (15 ), Ron Brandt (16 ), Neal th th Monka (16 ), Rebekah Saxon (16 ), Sara Brothman th th th (17 ), Neomi Meiner (17 ), Sonya Joy Solomon (17 ), th th Dora Zuker (17 ), Susan Gaynor (19 ), Ari Heistein th th nd (19 ), Naomi Rehaut Glyn (20 ), Mark Moritz (22 ), rd rd Ellen Ezra (23 ), Jonathan Mayor (23 ), Leah Mayor rd rd rd (23 ), Ed Messer (23 ), Jill Saxon (23 ), Virginia th th Baker (24 ), Jonathan Raport (24 ), Alexandra th th Ramsfelder (25 ), Philip Rosenbaum (25 ), Dalia th th Tammam (25 ), Gabrielle Blitz (27 ), Ellen Charm th th (27 ), Rabbi Menashe East (27 ), Alison Hanrahan th th th (27 ), Marla Katz (27 ), Hezy Cohen (28 ), Greg th th Saxon (28 ), Jessica Ariel Elbaum (29 ), Howard th st Messer (30 ), Amanda Nessel (31 ), Daniel Okun st (31 ).
October Anniversaries: Jack & Doris Brooks (8th), th
Michael & Rochelle Zeiger (8 ), Fred & Audrey th th Silverberg (9 ), Steven Stein & Rachel Inger (11 ), th David & Danielle Podell (13 ), Roni & Adeena Hudes th th (14 ), Ron & Jodi Silbermann (15 ), Mitchell & Annette th th Eichen (17 ), Paul Marshall & Linda Cahn (19 ), Alan st th Winter & Lori Blitz (21 ), Joel & Ellen Charm (26 ), th Paul & Louise Manis (27 ), Leslie & Jennifer Sloane th th (27 ), Joseph & Sally Cooper (28 ), Hezy & Janet st Cohen (31 ).
Mt. Freedom Jewish Center extends our best wishes to Cindy Whiting & Joe Martin who are getting married this weekend! Mazel Tov to Bernard Brothman & Marsha Hoch on the wedding of Avraham Brothman & Miriam Farrell this Sunday!!!
This Week: October 26: Talmud Class, 9AM October 29: Rav Menashe’s 2nd Session on the Talmud @ Morris County library, 12PM October 30: Tefilah Class, 10AM
Upcoming Events: Nov 2: Fall backward and Change Clocks Nov 3: Talmud Study, 9AM Nov 5: Rav Menashe’s 3rd Session on the Talmud @ Morris County library, 12PM Nov 7: **New Program** Oneg Shabbat, 730PM Nov 8: Jr Cong, 1045AM with Teen Leaders Nov 8: Me-Drash, Steve Schwartz on the Binding of Isaac Nov 9: March of the Living Program, 11AM Nov 15:Kandy Kiddush with Morah Sharon, 1045AM Nov 15:Musical Melavah Malka, 6PM
Thank You! Shared Kiddush Sponsors A sincere THANK YOU and a hearty MAZAL TOV to the following sponsors of this Shabbat's SHARED KIDDUSH for celebrations in the month of October!
Virginia Baker in honor of her 80th Birthday
Ron and Lillie Brandt in honor of Ron’s Birthday and Bridget Greenfeld’s Birthday
Joel & Ellen Charm in honor of their Anniversary and Ellen’s Birthday
Hezy and Janet Cohen in honor of their Anniversary and Hezy’s Birthday
Rav Menashe and Donna East in honor of Rav Menashe’s Birthday
Rabbi Michael & Esther East in honor of Rav Menashe’s Birthday
Gabriele Edgell in honor of Greg’s Birthday
Mitch & Annette Eichen in honor of their 32nd Anniversary
Bernie & Barbara Elbaum in honor of Jessica’s Birthday
Barry Ginsburg and Lauren Cooper in honor of Barry ‘s Brooke Orbuch’s and Steven Orbuch’s Birthdays
Gil and Jackie Mayor in honor of Leah Newman’s and Jonathan’s Birthdays
Steven & Faye Okun in honor of Daniel’s Birthday
David and Judi Paris in honor of David’s Birthday
Marvin & Miriam Raber in honor of the B’nai Mitvot of their grandchildren, Sage & Autumn Hengen
Jonathan and Jamie Ramsfelder in honor of Allie’s Birthday
David and Meryl Rehaut in honor of Naomi Rehaut Glyn and Shawn Glyn’s Birthdays
Gary & Susan Scheer in honor of Susan’s Birthday
Steven and Helen Schwartz in honor of Henry and Gracie Sacks’ Birthdays
Fred & Audrey Silverberg in honor of their Anniversary and Leana’s Birthday
Joel Spielman and Leah Gruss in honor of Leah’s Birthday
Larry Weinstein and Bev Zagofsky in honor of Larry’s Birthday
Morty and Cookie Wertheimer in honor of Morty’s 80th Birthday
Michael and Rochelle Zeiger in honor of their Anniversary and Michael’s Birthday
Happy Brithday Rav Menashe! Best wishes from the following Families: Anonymous, Ellen Arian, Virginia Baker, Marc & Anne Beacken, Darsi Beauchamp, Ron & Lillie Brandt, Bernard Brothman and Marsha Hoch, Joel & Ellen Charm, Hezy & Janet Cohen, Michael & Esther East, Gabriele Edgell, Mitch & Annette Eichen, Bernie & Barbara Elbaum, Brad & Monica Feinberg, Paul & Ilana Fishbein, Steve & Carol Gelb, Mark & Pam Gelbert, Alan & Jennifer Gellerstein, Barry Ginsberg & Lauren Cooper, Bruce & Hannah Goldman, Craig Granowitz, Michael & Lisa Gutkin, Ken & Jackie Hillman, Roni & Adeena Hudes, Rita Karmiol, Joel & Marla Katz, Shimon Korish & Dora Zuker, Hana Kornblum, Howie & Roz Krosser, Geoff & Marilyn Lampel, David Leibowitz, Audrey Levine, Steve & Beena Levy, Israel & Gloria Lieberman, Gil & Jackie Mayor, Mark & Martha Moritz, Ira & Esti Monka, Craig & Sharon Nessel, Steve & Faye Okun, David & Judi Paris, Lou & Madeleine Pasteelnick, Charlie & Sherry Pollack, Marvin & Miriam Raber, Jonathan & Jamie Ramsfelder, Stan & Roana Ratner, David & Meryl Rehaut, Sam & Betty Reich, Lee & Linda Rosenbaum, Richard Rosenberg, Ron & Kate Rubenstein, Gregg & Gerri Russo, Gary & Susan Scheer, Steve & Helen Schwartz, Lew Schwarz, Marlene Selke, Arthur & Robin Shulman, Ron & Jodi Silbermann, Fred & Audrey Silverberg, Joel Spielman & Leah Gruss, Herb & Mindy Strulowitz, Larry Weinstein & Beverly Zagofsky, Morty & Cookie Wertheimer, Stephen & Shelly Winters, Jack & Phyllis Yacker, Michael & Rochelle Zeiger, Richard and Fawn Zwickel.
How To Connect With Us Mt. Freedom Jewish Center - on the Web! www.MTFJC.org - YES we have a NEW LIVE website!!! Please visit and give us feedback as we are still adding new features and content!
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The World Is Built Through Chesed How can you help? Please let us know by signing up on the Chesed Poster Board in the Shul Lobby. Homebound: The work of this committee is to care for and stay in touch with shul members who are homebound. Committee members help with gathering groceries, reaching out by phone, providing meals, making in-person visits, and providing transportation to and from the doctor.
Shiva: This committee is our quick-response team, helping bereaved shul families grieve by providing a meal after the funeral, setting up the shiva house, and facilitating an as-needed bereavement support group.
Hospitality: Our shul aims to be a welcoming community to help bridge the gap so that visitors and families new to the community feel embraced. This committee works in concert with the shul’s Membership Committee to formally welcome new families, identifying hosts for overnight Shabbat guests and Shabbat meals, and checking in by phone with shul members we haven’t seen in awhile.
Tzedakah: This committee supports the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund by both identifying needs and increasing the Fund’s profile within the community. This committee will also organize tzedakah campaigns throughout the year.
Emergency: This committee coordinates support and communication with our neighbors and communal friends so that no one in the community is forgotten during an emergency.
Or are you in need? Our Chesed Committees can make a difference. Contact the shul office for more information.
Joint Chaplaincy Committee of Greater MetroWest
The American Red Cross, Joint Chaplaincy Committee of Greater MetroWest & NAJC present
4 Disaster Spiritual Care Workshops 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at
The American Red Cross 209 Fairfield Road Fairfield, NJ
1. Wednesday October 29th
Historic room – 9am
Red Cross Orientation and VC sign up – 1 hour
2. Wednesday November 12th Historic room - 9am Red Cross Disaster Overview Course – 3 ½ hours
3. Wednesday November 19th D.O.C. - 9am Red Cross Feeding Fundamentals – 3 hours
4. Wednesday December 3rd D.O.C. – 9am Red Cross Preparedness Presentation – 1 hour
Please contact Cecille Asekoff at 973-929-3168 or
[email protected] for additional information and reservations.
WEEKLY PARSHA By Rabbi Dov Linzer, Rosh HaYeshiva and Dean of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Parshat Noach | October 25, 2014 / 30 Tishrei 5775 The Primordial Sin What was the sin of the Generation of the Flood? Rabbi Yochanan said: Come and see how great is the sin of robbery. For the Generation of the Flood had transgressed everything, and yet their final decree was not sealed until they had engaged in robbery." (Sanhedrin 108). Robbery, or at least its driving force, is perhaps the most basic violation, the evil that leads to all other evils. The act of forcefully taking something that belongs to someone else is about seeing something that you want, and acting to satisfy your desire in disregard of the other person who has a rightful claim to the object. This is at the core of almost all other evildoing. It is the attitude that "there is only one person in the world that matters, and that is me. As long as I don't get caught, I am entitled to do anything I want to do to satisfy my desires, to serve my own interests." In short, it is about seeing everything outside of yourself as either an object of your desire or as an obstacle to your satisfying that desire. The benei E-lohim, powerful men, took whatever women they chose. Those who had power saw what they wanted and took it. What is rape and sexual abuse if not the turning of the other person into an object of your desire, to be taken without concern for the humanity of that other person? And what is adultery if not the treating of the other partner as merely an obstacle to the satisfying of your desires, an annoyance to be disregarded, to be lied to, to be dehumanized? Similarly, whatever motivated Cain to kill Abel, the act of murder boiled down to this: Abel was in the way, was causing Cain distress, and he must therefore be destroyed. Other people are just objects that get in the way of my doing what I want, of my taking what I want. Ultimately this brings us back to the Creation story and first sin of humankind. In the Garden of Eden, Adam could have eaten from any tree he chose. Just one tree was off limits, was not his for the taking. The first sin, the primordial sin, was seeing, wanting, taking. "And the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and that it was desirous to the eyes...and she took from its fruit and she ate." This point was made in a powerful visceral way in the movie Noah, where the image of the hand taking the forbidden fruit was interspersed throughout the film, appearing alongside horrific acts of coveting and violent taking, of rape and of murder. Appearing, that is, whenever the first, primordial sin was being repeated. When human beings were created they were given the mandate to "subdue the earth and have dominion over it." To do such is to project ourselves into the world, just as God had done when God created the world. If this is all there is, however, then the world is nothing but us. No one else exists. I fill the world. It is all here to satisfy my desires. But being like God is also to pull oneself back. God did this when God created the world, and God did this when God came to create humans: "Let us create the human in our image." God made this a collaborative effort. And God created something that was not just an object. God created a person, a person who had will, who had free choice that even God could not, or would not, control. And so it was with the creation of Eve. For Eve to exist, Adam was forced to make himself smaller, to have a side taken from him. When we pull back and make space for others, then paradoxically, this pulling back makes us not less, but more. Having made space for the other, both became a greater whole. Stealing is indeed the ultimate sin. It is the sin of seeing, desiring and taking. It is the sin of seeing all others as objects. What is the corrective of this sin? It is to learn restraint; it is to honor the limits set by morality and set by God; it is to treat others as co-equal subjects to oneself. When the world starts over, God gives commandments to Noach, forbidding murder and the eating of animal blood. These commandments are meant to curb man's most destructive impulses and to teach a respect for all life, even animal life, to teach us that others are living beings, not objects. We are thus set on a course that will hopefully lead to a better world, to a more just world. And what about achieving greater moral sensitivity, learning to respect the property, feelings, privacy and dignity of others? What about the pulling back is necessary not because of ethical mandates but because of limits that God has set? The realization of this would have to wait until the next epoch of history, the choosing of Avraham whose mission it would be to spread God's name and to bring God into the world.
Shabbat Shalom Noah 5775 (Genesis 6:9 – 11:32) Efrat, Israel – Noah may have been righteous and wholehearted as an individual, but he lacked the strength and the boldness to confront God’s decision and to oppose the wicked ways of the world. “Noah was a righteous man, wholehearted in his generations; Noah walked together with God” (Gen.6:9) If, indeed, Noah was a righteous, wholehearted partner of God, why is he not the first Hebrew? He seems to have had all of the necessary qualifications. The classical biblical commentary Rashi generally follows the midrash in praising every one of the biblical personalities, even those who do not come off so well in a simple reading of the biblical text. In the case of Noah, however, Rashi cites a midrash that turns great praise into shameful degradation. While the Bible states unambiguously that Noah was “a righteous man, wholehearted in his generations,” Rashi comments, “And there are those who explicate this phrase to Noah’s detriment: In accordance with his generation, he was righteous; had he lived in the generation of Abraham, he would not have been considered anything at all” (Rashi, citing BT Sanhedrin 108). Why this denigration when the Bible itself is so complimentary? Rashi and the midrash even take the next phrase, “He [Noah] walked together with God,” to indicate that Noah was lacking: “In the case of Abraham, the Bible says, ‘Walk before Me and be wholehearted’ (Gen. 17: 1). Noah required Divine support to uphold him, whereas Abraham was strong and progressed with his righteousness on his own [without any need of external support]” (Gen. Raba 30:10). What could possibly cause these commentaries to overlook the positive and seek out the negative? The Maharal of Prague magnificently explains that Abraham and Noah each faced a similar challenge, but they reacted in radically different ways. When God informs Abraham that he is going to destroy the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham immediately challenges the decision and actually debates with the Lord Himself: “Will You then destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are 50 righteous… will You destroy and not forgive the place because of those 50 righteous… [should] the Judge of the entire earth not act justly?… And perhaps there are 45… or 40… or 30… or 20… or 10?” (Gen. 18:23-32) Abraham charges God with injustice and then bargains with God as if the Almighty were a market vendor, in order to save the wicked city of Sodom. But Noah, when confronted with the prospect of a flood destroying all of humanity, is quite satisfied to accept God’s decision and build an ark to save only himself and his immediate family. Apparently the first Hebrew must be concerned for all of humanity. Noah’s lack of human sensitivity left him wanting in God’s eyes. That’s precisely what the midrash says: Had Noah lived in Abraham’s generation and been compared to him, he would not have been considered anything at all. It goes even further than that, however. God actually gives in to Abraham’s demand. He says specifically, “I will not destroy [Sodom] because of even 10 righteous people” (Gen. 18:32). But as the Torah reports, there were not even 10 righteous in the city: “The men of Sodom surrounded the house [to sodomize the strangers], from the youth to the aged, the entire people from end to end [of the city]” (Gen. 19:4). God even invites Abraham to enter into dialogue with Him, saying, “Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am about to do?” (Gen. 18:17) God then goes on to declare that He has elected Abraham as the first Hebrew because of his sense of justice and righteousness, before inviting Abraham to argue with Him on the basis of these concepts (Gen. 18:18-22). The point is clear: To be the elected of God, one must stand strong against the injustices of the world. God recognizes that the world is not perfect; He wants us to complete and perfect it. He wants us to force Him to intercede to make certain that the good and the compassionate triumph over the evil and the destructive. He doesn’t want us to accept the world as He created it; He doesn’t want us to accept human nature in the fullness of its evil potential. Noah apparently did not believe that humanity had the power to repent. Abraham believed that even Sodom was ultimately redeemable. Noah may have been righteous and wholehearted as an individual, but he lacked the strength and the boldness to confront God’s decision and to oppose the wicked ways of the world. This characteristic is built into his name, which means “ease.” Rashi says that he received that name because he created an easier method of reaping wheat from the ground. God elects the one who challenges Him and is willing to go to war to fight the evil terrorists who captured Lot. God wants us to swim against the current, to put our lives on the line, in order to perfect the world in the Kingship of the Divine. That’s what it means to be a Hebrew (Ivri): to stand in opposition on one side (ever in Hebrew), even if everyone – even God – stands on the other. Shabbat Shalom
People in Our Time This Shabbat, we read parshat Noach, the story of the great flood that destroyed all of humanity, but the real focus is not on the nameless and faceless personalities that are drowned by the deluge. Noach and his family are front and center. And, really, Noach is the one character of concern for us. As opposed to Abraham, who demonstrates no known attributes toward becoming chosen as God’s agent, Noach is described in the Torah as ‘Ish Tzaddik, Tamim’ a wholly righteous man. But the verse adds on a vague modifier – ‘bidorotav’ – in his generation. (Gen 6:9) The question that our sages asked and which Rashi cites: Does this modifier detract or enhance Noach’s righteousness? He was righteous for a generation of villains, but were he to have lived in the times of Abraham, Noach would have been a person of little note. Or, another reading of the modifier –in his generation – might be to enhance Noach’s stature. Noach was righteous in his generation, filled with villains. Imagine what a person with such moral clarity in a generation when morality was more commonplace. He would have been a beacon of goodness. Both of these theoretical readings of Noach’s moral stature are interesting, but – to my view – they miss the point because none of us live a ‘would-have-been’ life. We are only who we are. The mishna implores us: In the place where there are none others, try to be the person. (Avot, 2:5) We will never be the best at anything we do. Think of any talent you claim as your own or any achievement you take pride in – and then look around any room full of people – and imagine what talents are collectively in that room. Of the things which are most essential to who you are, there will almost certainly be a person as good, or greater, than you in that very thing; probably standing right next to you. That ought not discourage us; because at some time and place – that talent will have to rise to the occasion and your defining quality will be a buoy for the lost, shipwrecked and hopeless. Towards the end of the Torah, Moses prepares the people for a hypothetical legal dispute. A matter that is too complicated for the region court which will need adjudication in the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. And the matter is to be brought before the ‘judge of that day’ to resolve matter – here too, ‘of that day’ modifies the judge. (Deut 17:9) Rashi explains that if this judge, of this day, is not of the same echelon or stature as the previous judge, you are still duty bound to accept the ruling. (cf Rashi, ibid) Our community leaders of the day, whoever they are, are our community leaders. Our parents are our parents; our teachers are our teachers. Noach was the person of his time, not of all time; he did not need to be. We must be the people of our time; that’s what our world needs us to be. Shabbat Shalom Umevorach, Chodesh Tov, Rabbi Menashe East
