Shabboom! Weekly Announcements

Energize your week with Ohev Sholom                                        November 6, 2019

Shabbat Times and Announcements

Erev Shabbat, November 8 (Cheshvan 10)
6:30a Shacharit
4:42p Candle Lighting
4:45p Kabbalat Shabbat

Shabbat, November 9: Lech Lecha (Cheshvan 11)
8:15a Shacharit, followed by Book of Isaiah Class with Saul Weinreb
9:15a Women's Tefillah Bat Mitzvah Celebration, with a Dvar Torah from Amalia Netter
10:30a Shabbat Youth Groups
11:45a Kiddush Luncheon 
3:20p Daf Yomi
4:20p Mincha, followed by Seudah Shlishit with a Shiur from Yael Keller
5:42p Havdalah

Upcoming Kiddush Schedule
11/16: Kiddush (sponsorship available)
11/23: Dessert Kiddush sponsored by the Appelbaum family in honor of Elisheva's bat mitzvah

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

THE PARSHA 
This week's  parsha, Lech Lecha, begins with God instructing Avrom (whose name has not yet been changed) to leave his place of residence and to go to the "land which I (God) will show you."  

In the course of this parsha, God changes the name of our forefather from Avrom ("exhalted father") to Avrohom, "a father of a great multitude." However, to avoid confusion, from here on, we will use the name Avrohom in the entire discussion.

When God speaks of the "land which I (God) will show you," that, of course, is the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land. The question immediately arises: why did God not mention, right away, which land He was speaking of? The same question arises in the story of the Akeda, which is told in the next parsha. There, God tells Avrohom to take his son Yitzchak, and offer him as a sacrifice "on one of the hills that I will show you." Why not say immediately that God will direct him to Har Hamoriah? The rabbinical answer is that it was God's intention to add to the reward ("sachar") that Avrohom would receive. Even though he did not know his ultimate destination, he still had complete faith in God. In both cases he did not hesitate to embark on a journey to a destination unknown to him.

The parsha continues, telling of many incidents in the life of our forefather, including the birth of his son Yishmael to the servant Hagar.  The climax of the parsha is the telling of the first circumcisions, of Avrohom, Yishmael, and all the male offspring of the family. The Torah tells us that Avrohom was 99 when circumcised and Yishmael was thirteen years old. Later, the midrash tell us, Yishmael taunted Isaac, telling him that he, Yishmael, was circumcised at thirteen when it was painful, and therefore to his greater credit, while Yitzchak was circumcised while an infant. As the midrash tells the story, Avrohom was willing to sacrifice Isaac at least in part in answer to Yishmael's taunts.

The Torah states that the circumcisions took place "on this very day" (b'etzem hayom). Why this emphasis? The same phrase is used when Noach enters the Ark, when the Jews left Egypt, and when Moshe went up the mountain to die. In each case, the action was resisted by the surrounding population, and God wanted to show that public opinion was being defied. The population objected to Noach saving himself, the Egyptians objected to the exodus, and the Jewish people resisted the loss of their leader, Moshe. But God decreed that the actions would take place.

THE HAFTORAH
ISAIAH 41:8:  "And you Israel my servant, Seed of Avrohom my beloved."

TEFILOT/PRAYERS 
From the morning prayers, quoting from the prophet Nehemiah, 9:6-11: "It is your God who selected Avrom, and you took him from Ur of Chaldees, and you gave him the name Avrohom, and you found his heart faithful before you." 

Haftorah Video, by Hal Brodsky z"l

A video about the haftorah can be viewed here: Isaiah 40:27-41:16

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