Shabbat Mevarchim Bereshit October 26, 2019 (Tishrei 27, 5780)

Service Times Coming Up

Friday, October 25 (Tishrei 26) Women’s Rosh Chodesh Bookclub – October 29th, 7:30pm

5:27pm – Earliest Candle Lighting Discussing A Letter in the Scroll by Jonathan Sacks 6:15pm – Mincha/ Kabalat Shabbat/ Maariv Dortikvah.org/event/Oct-Rosh-Chodesh 6:17pm – Late Candle Lighting Hosted at the home of Susan Chase, 1579 Spinnaker Dr.

TOTally Tot Shabbat – November 2nd, 10:30am Saturday, October 26 (Tishrei 27) Ages 0-Kindergarten explore the weekly Torah portion while having fun

9:00am – Shacharit with their friends. Dortikvah.org/youth 10:18am – Latest Preferable Time to Say Shema nd 10:30am – Shabbat Morning Youth Groups Fall Picnic and a Playdate – November 2 , 12pm Lunch for kids and adults at Addlestone Hebrew Academy playground. 4:55pm – Parsha Details at Dortikvah.org/event/Fall-Picnic-Play 5:40pm – Mincha rd 7:13pm – Maariv/Havdalah Yoni Alon Siyum HaShas Dinner – November 3 , 4pm Celebrating Yoni’s completion of his 7-year study. $15, Register at Dortikvah.org/event/yoni-alon-syum-ha-shas-dinner Kiddush Sponsor: Jennifer and Ryan Barger Learner's Service – November 9th, 10:45am in honor of their son Joseph's 3rd birthday Join Rabbi Michael and Ora Davies for an inspiring, user-friendly, no-Hebrew necessary service. More info at Dortikvah.org/events

11/2 Picnic and Playdate - in appreciation of all of the teens and adults who helped with our Shabbat morning youth programming over the last year. Community Events To contribute $25 to this sponsorship, contact [email protected].

11/9 - The Engel family in honor of Ayla's 4th birthday Breakfast with the Mayor – October 27th, 9am A delicious breakfast with Mayor John Tecklenburg. Hosted by BSBI. 11/23 - Barbara and Lenny Zucker in memory of Lenny’s uncle, Julius M. “Bubba” Zucker, and grandfather, Joseph Zucker, at yahrzeit time Pause for Pittsburgh – October 27th, 5pm A global moment of rememberance for the attack on 3 Pittsburgh Please consider marking a special event in your life by sponsoring a Kiddush. Contact Lenny Zucker at [email protected]. Regular Kiddush is $150. synagogues one year ago. Join at Bit.ly/Pause-for-Pittsburgh.

Refuah Shelema Weekday Services To add or remove a name, contact [email protected]. Mincha/ Maariv

Monday & Wednesday 6:10 pm. Robert Levinson Esther bat Alitza Simcha ben Ettle Baruch Leib ben Chaya Freidel Regular Classes Hodel bat Raozel (Burt Roslyn) Miriam bat Mazal Yisrael ben Chaya All current classes available through Facebook Live. Talia bat Shoshana Yisrael Haynu

 Ketuvim with Kenny with Kenny Abitbol – Mon. 7:15pm Blooma bat Chaya Sara ben Shimon Avraham (Bertha Hoffman) Etta Tzivia bat Leila  Lunchtime Talmud with Rabbi Davies – Thur. 12pm Refael Aharon ben Devorah Chaiah Leah bat Shier Reena Firetag Louis Waring  Cholent and Learn with Kenny Abitbol – Thur. 8pm Malka Liba bat Yosefa Elijah Myer ben Malkah

 Torah Study with Rabbi Davies – Sundays, starting Nov. 10th Yocheved bat Sarah Jenifer Litwin Bochner Isabella Beaudoin Rivka Bat Batya (Robyn Dudley) Yoseph Ben Sara Jack Spitz Contributions

Life Cycle  Adam Weiner  William Olasov

 We are excited to have restarted the cycle of Torah reading with the Yahrzeit Birthday new addition of the Glaubach family Sefer Torah! Thank you Monica and Simeon Glaubach and family for generously sharing it with us.  Florence Zelda Katzen,  Marian Yarus (10/26) Sister of Marvin Katzen (10/28)  Stuart Feldman (10/30)  Leila Stricker, We appreciate all contributions - those of $10 or more will be acknowledged here. Mother of Michael Stricker (10/29) Contributions in support of CDT can be made at DorTikvah.org, or by check to Congregation Dor Tikvah 1645 Raoul Wallenberg Blvd., Charleston, SC 29407

Bereshit (Genesis 1:1-6:8) Knowing G-d by Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen aish.com

There is a huge difference between intellectually knowing that there is a Creator and actually living with that realization on a constant basis.

"Rebbe Yitzchak said, '[G-d] need only have begun the Torah from 'This month shall be to you" which is the first Commandment which Israel was commanded. For what reason did it begin with 'Bereishit (Genesis)...'? (Rashi, Bereishit, 1:1) The first Rashi in the Chumash quotes Rebbe Yitzchak who tells us that there was no need for the Torah to begin with the account of Creation. Accordingly, Rebbe Yitzchak offers a reason why, nonetheless, the Torah had to begin with the Creation. The author of Darchei Mussar, Rabbi Yaakov Neimann, questions Rebbe Yitzchak's assumption; how can he say that there was no need for the Torah to begin with the foundation of Emunah (belief) that G-d created the world - surely that is the most fundamental aspect of knowledge that one needs to have!

The Darchei Mussar answers that of course it is essential to believe that G-d created the world, however, Rebbe Yitzchak's intent is that it was unnecessary for the Torah to tell us this fact because it is so glaringly obvious. He continues that anyone who has common sense can recognize that the incredible complexity of the world cannot have come about randomly, and that there is obviously a Creator behind the wonders of nature. Accordingly, Rebbe Yitzchak questioned why it was even necessary for the Torah to tell us about the Creation. This explanation demonstrates that the question of whether there is a Creator that great philosophers have grappled with throughout history is in fact rather simple. Indeed, Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman noted that the Torah could command a 12-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy to believe in G-d, even though great philosophers have been debating this basic fact. He explained that recognizing G-d exists is actually simple, but a person's bias can make such an obvious fact not so clear-cut. The implications of there being a Creator who demands something of human beings is not palatable to everyone, and that bias can blind someone from seeing the obvious.

There is a huge difference between intellectually knowing that there is a Creator and actually living with that realization on a constant basis. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, the Mashgiach of Yeshivat Be'er Yaakov, was having difficulty with a particular student. He traveled to the legendary Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein, Mashgiach of Yeshivat Ponevezh. At the end of their conversation Rav Chatzkel (as he was known) asked Rabbi Wolbe, "Tell me, do you know that there is a Creator?" Rabbi Wolbe did not understand the question; surely Rav Chatzkel did not doubt Rabbi Wolbe's belief in G-d. After a few moments, Rav Wolbe answered, "Yes." Apparently unsatisfied, Rav Chatzkel repeated, "Do you really know that the world has a Creator?" Once again, Rav Wolbe replied, "Yes, I know there is a Creator." "Good," replied Rabbi Levenstein, "then go back and tell your students that there is a Creator?" Rav Wolbe said that it took him two weeks to finally understand what Rav Chatzkel was getting at: "There are people who go through their daily lives studying Torah and performing mitzvot without feeling in the depth of their hearts that there is a Creator. Rav Chatzkel was telling me that I should be sure to imbue my students with the knowledge and feeling of G-d's existence.”

Rabbi Levenstein wasn't questioning Rabbi Wolbe's intellectual belief in G-d. He was emphasizing the importance of internalizing that belief in G-d and making it a living reality that penetrates one's emotions. That is the foundation of Jewish observance. The intellectual clarity that G-d exists is not so difficult; the far greater challenge is assimilating that knowledge so that it penetrates the heart.

Developing a genuine and constant awareness of G-d takes constant work. There are classic Torah works such as Chovot Halevavot (Duties of the Heart) and Mesillat Yesharim (Path of the Just) that delve into these issues. There are also contemporary works in English, like 'The Six Constant Mitzvot" by Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits, and Constant Connection: Deepening Your Emunah through the Six Constant Mitzvos" by Rabbi Yitzchak Coopersmith, based on the teaching of Rabbi Noach Weinberg. These books provide a clear and deep explanation of each and how to work on them, helping a Jew keep focus on the whole purpose of Torah observance, namely creating a relationship with the Creator.

May we all merit to constantly improve our relationship with G-d.