Shabboom! Weekly Announcements

Energize your week with Ohev Sholom                                           August 29, 2019

Shabbat Times and Announcements

Erev Shabbat, August 30 (Av 29)
6:30a Shacharit
6:45p Kabbalat Shabbat
7:24p Candle Lighting

Shabbat, August 31: Rosh Chodesh Elul, Re'eh (Av 30)
9:15a Shacharit, with a Dvar Torah from Maharat Friedman
10:30a Shabbat Youth Groups
6:00p Daf Yomi
7:00p Mincha, followed by Seudah Shlishit with a Shiur from Rabbi Herzfeld
8:23p Havdalah

Upcoming Kiddush Schedule
8/31: No food served
9/7: Kiddush
9/14: Kiddush

The High Holidays are coming up! Visit ostns.org/highholidays for details. Be on the lookout for our yearly brochure, arriving in the mail soon.

Comments on the Portion & Haftorah, Contributed by Rabbi Ben Mintz

This week's parsha, Re'eh, continues the recitation by Moshe of the laws which will apply in the Promised Land.
 
One of these is the law of "Ir Hanidachas," a city where the majority of the population has succumbed to the worship of foreign gods. When the Jewish court has witness testimony that this "abomination" has taken place, the Torah establishes rigorous evidence requirements before punishment can be imposed. The court must "investigate and inquire and interrogate," to determine that the testimony is "true" and "established." The Talmud refers to these court proceedings as "drishot" and "chakirot," and several tractates of the Talmud are devoted to the detailed cross-examination requirements of what we would now call "due process."
 
The parsha goes on to set forth the laws regarding the various festivals. These sections of the parsha constitute the Torah readings during those Festivals. For instance, in regard to Pesach, the parsha states that we must eat matzo for seven days (now, in the diaspora, eight). Matzo is referred to as "lechem oni", the bread of affliction, which reminds us that the Jewish people fled Egypt "be'chipazon," hurriedly. In the Book of Shmot, which tells the story of the Jews' departure from Egypt, the Torah states that the Egyptians forced the Jews to leave hurriedly, saying, "kulanu meisim," we are all dying. (The plague of the First Born made the Egyptians think like that.)
 
In the haftorah which we will read next Shabbos with the parsha of Shoftim, the prophet Isaiah says as follows: "Ki lo be'chipazon teitzei'u,” When the ultimate redemption takes place, "You will not depart in haste, because the Lord is marching before you." When the Egyptians were behind you, you rushed out, but when God is leading you, there will no longer be any need to hurry, because God will be there to protect you.
 
This Shabbos is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul. So the haftorah is the special one for Rosh Chodesh, which is from the Book of Isaiah (66: 1-24). It contains the words: "And New Moon after New Moon, and Shabbos after Shabbos, all flesh will come and worship me, says the Lord."
 
Pirke Avot, Ethics of the Fathers
Chapter 5, Mishna 19: A love that is based on a single factor, if the factor disappears, the love disappears. An example is the love of Amnon for Tamar (in the Book of Prophets) which was based on sexual attraction. But a love not based on a single factor continues forever. An example is the love of David for Jonathan.

Haftorah Video, by Hal Brodsky z"l

A video about the Haftorah can be found here: Isaiah 66:1-24

Upcoming Events and Weekly Schedule

To view and register for upcoming events and weekly schedule, visit our website's online calendar. 

Lifecycles

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Contact Us

Synagogue Office
info@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld
RabbiShmuel@ostns.org
(202) 812-8900 
Maharat Ruth Balinsky Friedman
MaharatRuth@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, ext. 107
Monica Wolfe, Interim Executive Director
Monica.Wolfe@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, etx. 103
Stacey Watson, Director of Engagement
Stacey.Watson@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, ext. 102
Lisa Redisch, Director of Youth & Family Programs
youth@ostns.org
(202) 882-7225, ext. 105
Board of Directors
board@ostns.org
Hospitality & Welcome Committee
BeOurGuest@ostns.org
Mikvah Chaim
mikvahchaim.org
attendant@mikvahchaim.org
Cemetery Information
cemetery@ostns.org
​​​​​​​(202) 882-7225