Shabbat Announcements, January 24, 2009

Parshat Va’eira

January 24, 2009 28 Tevet, 5769

Torah Artscroll, 318 Hertz, 232 Haftorah Artscroll, 1149 Hertz, 244 Mevorchim Chodesh Shevat Rosh Chodesh Monday 1/26 Molad Monday 4:54:17 am Times Candle lighting

4:43 pm

Mincha

4:45 pm

Hashkama Minyan

8:00 am

Parsha Shiur

8:30 am

Youth

8:30 am

Main Minyan

9:00 am

Beit Midrash

9:15 am

Gemorah Shiur

3:45 pm

Mincha

4:35 pm

Shabbat Ends

5:52 pm

Sunday, January 25,

7:30 am 8:30 am

Mon., Thurs.,

6:35 am

Tues., Wed., Fri.,

6:45 am

Second Shacharit Minyan (Daily)

7:45 am

Mincha (week of January 25)

4:55 pm

Late Ma’ariv Mon., - Thurs.,

8:15 pm

Latest times for Shema/Shmoneh Esrei January 24

9:39/10:28 am

January 31

9:37/10:27 am

Next Shabbat - Bo Candle lighting

4:52 pm

Mincha

4:55 pm

Rabbi Frand on the Parsha stage in the child's life – the parents really have no great "claim to fame." At that stage, we do not know who This week's parsha the baby is or what the baby contains the first time in will become. At that point, the Torah that we are explicitly told the name of the baby is only "a bundle of Moshe Rabbeinu's father raw potential" (b'koach, not – Amram ben Kehas ben b'po-al). of Levi. The pasuk says Therefore, giving accolades and honors to the parents of that Amram married his aunt Yocheved and Moshe Rabbeinu at the together they had two stage of his birth would be sons – Aharon and premature. He was only a Moshe [Shmos 7:18-20]. baby! The Differential Between Potential and Realized Potential

Now the pasuk can inform us that he is the product of an Amram and a Yocheved. Here the parents can now proclaim: "See the child that we have raised." They can now stand up and take credit. Let the world know who Moshe Rabbeinu's father was. Let the world know who is mother was. Moshe Rabbeinu is more that just raw potential. The potential has been realized.

The Rabbeinu Bechaye in Parashas Bereshis alludes to the same point. Throughout We first learned about In this week's parsha, the the days of creation the Torah the birth of Moshe in last situation has changed. In uses the refrain "The L-rd saw week's parsha. There the Parshas VaEra we already pasuk ambiguously says: know who Moshe Rabbeinu that it was good." At the end of creation the pasuk says "And "A man went from the is. This is a person who the L-rd saw everything that he House of Levi and took could have remained did and behold it was VERY Levi's daughter (and they comfortably in the house of had a son and called him Pharaoh, but he grew up and good." [Bereshis 1:31]. Rabbeinu Bechaye notes that went out amongst his Moshe)" [Shmos 2:1]. It we find three distinct brethren and saw their would have been more expressions: "ki tov", "tov", and logical, it would seem, to suffering. Moshe Rabbeinu "tov me'od". The first stuck up for the oppressed tell us about Moshe expression ("ki tov"), he says, Jew. Moshe Rabbeinu had Rabbeinu's father when is used when we are looking at initially mentioning his to flee for his life and go to the potential of an item or a Midian. Moshe Rabbeinu birth. Why does the person or a day. Each day of Torah omit the identity of stood up for the oppressed creation was "ki tov". There the parents when first daughters of Yisro at the narrating Moshe's birth? well. This is only a fraction of was tremendous potential in what he will yet accomplish. each and every day. But it was Rav Moshe Feinstein only a part of a much greater But he is now 80 years old; explains that when two sum that was going to yet he has already people bring a child into demonstrated his character. happen. the world – at that early However, when G-d reviewed

Kiddush is Bima Flowers and Seudah Shlishit are sponsored by Sponsored The Aryeh Family by in memory of their Great Neck Husband, father and grandfather Synagogue Rafael Aryeh, z”l

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100

all of creation at the end of six days, the full creation was "tov meod" – potential realized. The sum is greater than all of the parts. The "parts" are merely "ki tov". The sum is "tov meod." The Rabbeinu Bechaye – back in Parshas Bereshis references the language used in connection with Moshe Rabbeinu here in Shmos. When Moshe Rabbeinu was born, the parents knew they had something special in their hands. The Medrash says that the room filled with light. His cry was that of a mature child. This was not just any little baby. This was someone special. The Torah uses the expression "ki tov hu" at that point [Shmos 2:2]. He was only potential. Therefore, just like the intermediate stages of creation, he was designated "ki tov". He was potential, unbelievable and unimaginable potential, but only potential, nevertheless. But, says Rabbeinu Bechaye, later, when Moshe matured and proved himself, he in fact merited the accolade "meod" as it is written "And the man Moshe was 'anav meod' (exceedingly humble)" [Bamidbar 12:3]. Even Moshe Rabbeinu had to reach his potential. Until he did he was merely "ki tov". When he reached that potential he was "tov meod." At the end of Parshas Bo, we learn the laws of the firstborn. There is the law of the firstborn of man, the firstborn of a kosher animal, and the law of the firstborn of a non-kosher animal. There is a seemingly strange-law called "Petter Chamor." The firstborn of a donkey has to be redeemed with a sheep. If the owner chooses not to redeem the donkey in this way, he must decapitate the animal. The Netziv of Volozhin says that a firstborn who wastes his potential forfeits his right to remain in the world. The firstborn is special. He has special capabilities and special potential. He must develop that potential and maximize the powers he was given. Failure to do so justifies the harsh fate that befalls the donkey who was not utilized properly to fulfill the mitzah of "petter chamor." The Netziv generalizes this to be a "klal gadol b'Torah" [over-arching principle of the Torah]:

Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Shalom Axelrod, Assistant Rabbi Brahm Weinberg, Rabbinic Intern Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus Mark Twersky, Executive Director Howard Silberstein, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

Shabbat Announcements, Va’eira 5769

Someone who has the capacity for greatness and is lazy and does not realize his potential is far worse than someone who never had the potential in the first place. It is a terrible thing to waste potential. It would have been preferable to have never been born into the world than to waste one's potential.

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK Proper Disposal of Pharmaceuticals You should not dispose of medications in the toilet or a drain because they eventually end up in our ground water or watersheds contaminating the water. In studies by Stony Brook University and the U.S. Geological survey of ground-water wells in Suffolk County, scientists detected pharmaceuticals in our ground water. Acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine (antiepileptic), cotinine (human metabolite of nicotine), paraxanthine (human metabolite of caffeine), and sulfamethoxazole (antibiotic) were found most often in both studies due in part to lack of proper disposal of medications.

• Dispose of the waste in household trash – DO NOT FLUSH. • Keep products in their original containers. Pharmaceutical container caps are typically watertight and child proof. • Add a small amount of water to a solid drug or some absorbent material such as kitty litter, sawdust or flour, to liquid drugs before recapping to discourage any unintended use of the drug. • Double seal the container in another container or heavy bag to prevent easy identification of the drug container or to prevent a glass container from breaking "GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK is part of an education series to reduce our carbon output. As Jews we have a responsibility to ourselves and future generations to sustain our environment from the global scorching that has already begun. We are experiencing global warming due to over industrialization, pollution and carbon emissions in the air. We need to integrate education, action, and advocacy and to connect this to Jewish tradition, and place this within a larger series of goals. Our goal must be a healthy and sustainable world for all its inhabitants. It means acting to slow the damage and then steadily working to reform our environment."

Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program T IM E 8:30 9:00-10:30 10:00-11:30

E V E NT Youth Minyan/ 5th grade & up Pre-Groups/ 4th grade and under Mommy and Me

L O C AT IO N Youth Center Chalfin Room *Room 110

10:00 10:00

PRE-SCHOOL 1-3 years (Me Without Mommy) Room 112 4-5 years (Me Without Mommy) Room 113 and please no parents in room 112 and 113.

10:30 10:30

Junior Minyan/1-4 Grade Mishna Club /5-8 Grade

Youth Center Right Youth Center Left

11:15 11:15 11:15 11:15 11:15

1st-4th grade Youth Groups 1st-2nd grade boys 1st-2nd grade girls 3rd-4th grade boys 3rd-4th grade girls

*Room 206 *Room 212 Youth Center Right Youth Center Right

11:15 11:15

Youth Groups/5-8 Grade Boys Youth Groups/5-8 Grade Girls

Lunchroom, NSHA Beit Midrash Rear

11:15 11:15

Weekly Kiddush with Rabbi Jensen Cholent Kiddush / 8th grade & up

Room 111 Youth Center Left

12:00

All Groups are over BETWEEN MINCHA & MAARIV Seudah Shlishit Seudah Shlishit

All Youth & H.S College Age

Youth Center Right Chalfin Room

* Note new location/program

ANNOUNCEMENTS RABBI REISMAN SATURDAY NIGHT TELECAST In the Weinstein Torah & Technology Center Saturday evening 7:30pm, www.gnstorah.org. SUNDAY BREAKFAST Sunday Breakfast is sponsored by the Aryeh family in memory of Rafael Aryeh z”l. RABBI AXELROD MONDAY & WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASS Monday Night Contemporary Halacha will not meet on January 19th, and 26th. It will resume on February 2nd. Wednesday Night Parsha and Pizza will not meet on January 21st. It will resume on January 28th. UPCOMING MEN’S CLUB EVENTS Feb. 22– Talk by Rabbi Yaakov Kleiman on: “The DNA Connection– Modern Jews and the Ancient Hebrews” with power-point slide presentation. March 17– Talk by Dr. Stu Greenstein (Professor of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine) on the “Medical and Halachic side of Kidney Transplants” with donors and recipients in attendance. March 22– The annual Rabbi Dialogue, held at Temple Israel. May 6– Talk by Michael Tuchfield, Commentator and correspondent Israel TV2 News—The Knesset Channel 99 SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE SISTERHOOD MEETINGS January 21, 10am: Combined Sisterhood Meeting at Temple Beth El to plan the Combined Sisterhood Luncheon which will be held in April, hosted by Temple Beth El. February 3, 8pm: GNS Sisterhood Meeting in the Braun Youth Center to discuss and plan upcoming events. We welcome your attendance and look forward to seeing you there! THANK YOU VERY MUCH The Sisterhood of GNS would like to thank Cindy Ludwig for hosting a wonderfully educating presentation by Lisa A. Cooleen, a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Outreach Health Educator from LIJ. Thank you to the UJA for providing a grant for this opportunity. We were overwhelmed by the positive response from all who attended and look forward to hosting many more of these lectures in the future.

WITHIN OUR FAMILY Mazal Tov to Elaine Wolf on the engagement of her granddaughter Daniella, daughter of David & Leah Wolf, to Yehuda Fund of Har Nof. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Great Neck Friends of Shalva presents Saturday Night Live. A dinner and Comedy club benefit for the Children’s Center in Jerusalem featuring Comedian Yisrael Campbell Saturday evening, January 31st at 8:30pm at the home of Corinne & Joe Franco 17 Gateway Drive. RSVP by January 22, for more info please call 212-725-0900. NSHAHS ADULT EDUCATIONAL SERIES Tuesday, January 27th, 8pm, presented by Shoshana Bryen, Senior Director of JINSA, and National Review Contributor. Topic “The US-Israel Relationship after the Presidential Election.” Free of charge. CYCLE FOR SURVIVAL S.U.M.S. The Third Annual Event to Support Research on Rare Cancers is on Sun., Jan. 25th, 4-5pm at Sharon’s Underground, 25 Spinners, 25 Bikes, no minimum dollar commitment. Visit www.cycleforsurvival.org, and register under team name, “Sharon’s Spinners.” For info contact Pam Bilfeld at [email protected] or Lisa Smith at [email protected]. NSHA PTA FUNDRAISER Due to the weather, this event is now on Feb. 14th. Harlem Wizards vs. North Shore Lions, (Parents, Faculty and Students) at North Shore Middle School at 7:30pm. $25 per person in advance, $30 at the door. Contact Dayla Vilinksy 487-1221. GMACH A new gmach has started for Bat Mitzvah, wedding, bridesmaid, and M.O.B. dresses in excellent condition. If you own these beautiful dresses and they’re sitting in your closet collecting dust, donate them and spread the nachas of your simcha to those in need. For more info contact Cindy Gold at [email protected] or 482-9064. DON’T THROW AWAY YOUR LEFTOVERS! If you would like to donate food, even if it’s a little extra while making dinner, Herschel Minster collects outside of Mazur’s every Friday afternoon, and delivers food for Shabbat to those in need, and will also pick up in Great Neck during the week, contact him at 718-279-3989.

NEW CO-CHAIRS OF THE BAR/BAT MITZVAH COMMITTEE The Sisterhood of GNS would like to welcome Annie Mendelson and Cynthia Wiesenfeld as the new co-chairs of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Committee, which is dedicated to ensuring the distribution of a beautiful siddur to each Bar/Bat Mitzvah on behalf of the Sisterhood. We want to thank Randa Pittell, the outgoing Chair, for all her hard work, time, and dedication to this endeavor. GNS LITTLE LEAGUE Applications for Little League are available in the Synagogue Office. Please submit to the office by the February 1st deadline. Season opener is April, 5th. Payment must accompany the application. LATE MINYAN We need your help in maintaining our weeknight 8:15pm minyan for maariv. Please volunteer for one night a week and help make sure that those who need to say kaddish have a minyan. The 10 minutes you commit to help make the minyan will make a huge difference for those who depend on it. To volunteer for the late maariv minyan, please go to our website and fill out the online form at: www.gns.org/? page_id=322 Thank you for your help, we’re counting on you! GIVE OLD MAGAZINES A NEW LIFE Please drop off your current used magazines to the Synagogue office to be donated to NSUH. GNS WEBSITE Our new website www.gns.org is now officially in service. Thanks to the tireless effort of David Rogelberg, Nik Kron, and Rabbi Polakoff, we are up and running. When you go to the website you will find all the important times, dates, and events that are happening at GNS, and you will also be able to access the Shabbat Announcements. Explore the site, look through it, and feel free to make comments! The site allows you to be interactive and comment on the posts that are there. We hope that you enjoy the experience.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 28 Tevet Frank Buchsbaum for Joseph Buchsbaum Mel Fox for Sally Fox Amy Fox Griffel for Sally Fox Mindy Leventhal for Edward Scheinkman Sunday, 29 Tevet Anne Gold for Murray Gold Sylvia Goldman for Irving Goldman Gladys Moslin for Paul Moslin Sandy Nissenbaum for Saul Nissenbaum Osnass Shein for Bessie Miller Arnold Swartz for Robert Swartz Monday, 1 Shevat Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Shmuel Gabbaizadeh Phyllis Marcus for Anna Kalchman Myles Mittleman for Jack Mittleman Tuesday, 2 Shevat Linda Horowitz for Arthur Kagan Chava Shalmon for Sh’maye Grinszpan Wednesday, 3 Shevat Annette Forman for Nathan Olk Thursday, 4 Shevat Mahin Aryeh for Rafael Aryeh Michael Aryeh for Rafael Aryeh Nathaniel Aryeh for Rafael Aryeh Philip Hanfling for Max Hanfling Holly Hoenig for Irene Berns Jeffrey Wiesenfeld for Markus Wiesenfeld Friday, 5 Shevat Pamela Bilfeld for Raymond Grant Miriam Glaubach for Max Herlinger Hannah Kleinberg for Frances Pascal Sam Levitt for Eva Levitt