, JANUARY 4, 2019 - TEVET 7, 5780 PARSHAT VAYIGASH (Pg. 250)

TORAH INSIGHTS FROM ELI BABICH

Now there was no bread in all the world, for the famine was very severe; both the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. Joseph gath- ered in all the money that was to be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, as payment for the rations that were being procured, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace (Vayigash 47: 13-14).

After recounting Yaakov’s descent into Egypt and the reunifica- tion of Yosef with his family, the Torah describes how Yosef enriched Pharaoh’s coffers by selling the royal storehouse of grain to the Egyptian populace. As this particular account does not seem to relate to the story of Yosef and his family, and ostensibly, the entire account appears unnecessary to record, commentaries questioned its inclusion in the Torah’s text.

The Ba’al Haturim wrote the episode was included to clearly explicate the magnitude of Pharaoh’s future ingratitude of enslaving the Jewish people. Despite Yosef’s loyalty and enrichment of the Egyptian royal treasury, Pharaoh, years later, did not hesitate to subjugate the Jewish people to backbreaking slavery and to personal humiliation. Other commentaries, such as Radak and Ramban, suggested that the Torah included this epi- sode to demonstrate the integrity and trustworthiness of Yosef, who oversaw Pharaoh’s financial affairs and was not subject to audits or scrutiny. Notwithstanding Yosef’s freedom, and despite the fact that he was exclusively responsible for augmenting Phar- aoh’s fortune, Yosef abstained from stockpiling unauthorized remuneration for him- self. All of Pharaoh’s belongings were under Yosef’s personal watch and he easily could have purloined funds, yet Yosef administered the royal funds with great integri- ty. Abarbanel added that Yosef’s honesty was so pervasive that when the need arose for wagons to resettle Yaakov in Egypt, Yosef did not use the royal wagons without Pharaoh’s permission.

The Malbim added that Yosef’s integrity ultimately served as a great benefit for the Jewish people. G-d avowed in Bereshit 15, “But I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.” Following the long Egyptian slavery, the Jewish people were told they would depart with boundless wealth. Consequently, the storehouses of Pharaoh’s wealth in which Yosef labored diligently to accrue would be ultimately bequeathed to Yosef’s descendants when they leave Egypt. This eventual reward for Yosef’s integrity thereby fulfilled the verse in Proverbs (28:2), “A faithful man will receive many blessings…”

ELI BABICH, RABBI JOSEPH MALOVANY, CANTOR 5 East 62nd Street ●Tel: 212.838.2122 ●www.5as.org Guest Ba’al Tefilah - ZAK BENARROCH will be leading all services this Shabbat.

Zak Benarroch, born and raised in London, is currently residing in New York studying finance and music at Yeshiva University. Zak has been studying Nusach and Tefilah for many years and tries to incorporate modern and contemporary music in to his davening whilst still keeping the authenticity of the Tefilah. Together with his sweet lyrical tenor voice, Zak makes Tefilah enjoyable and meaningful to listen to. Zak led his first Yamim Noraim service at the age of 14 and has led the High Holy Day services at the Chief Rabbi’s synagogue in London for the past few years. Zak has served as the Shliach Tzibur/Cantor at many prestigious synagogues throughout London and the rest of the UK, such as Magen Avot Synagogue, Ner Yisrael Synagogue, Wembley Syna- gogue, Bournemouth Synagogue, and Finchley ‘Kinloss’ Synagogue, to name a few.

DAF YOMI SIYUM: THIS SHABBAT, JANUARY 4

Led by distinguished Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shmuel Fishelis, our Daf Yomi study group participants include: Michael Abrahamson, Joel Davidson, Shimmy Deutscher, Rabbi David Eliach, Simon Fischer, Michael Fiskus, Sunny Ganger, Betzalel Gelbtuch, Jacob Gold, Avraham Goldringer, Jonathan Gross, David Hollander, Martin Klein, Andrew Lowinger, Cantor Joseph Malovany, Ari Maryles, David Present, Alan Rechtschaffen, Rabbi Dr. Sol Roth, Steve Schnei- der, Howard Schraub, Martin Schwartz, Abe Shainberg, Mendy Silber, Andrew Silverberg, and Charles Taub. Join us for a Siyum celebrating the completion of Tractate Niddah this Shabbat, January 4, with Rabbi Fishelis.

It’s a great opportunity to join our Daf Yomi group as we begin the new Tractate Brachos this Shabbat with the rest of the world, which begins a brand new seven and a half year Daf Yomi cycle. Class meets at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays, 7:15 a.m. on Sundays with Rabbi Fishelis, and 8:00 a.m. on Shabbos with Dr. Aryeh Pollack.

YAHRZEITS January 4 - 10, 2019; Tevet 7 - 13, 5780

JANUARY/TEVET

4 7 Dr. Patricia Cayne, Mother 9 12 Mr. George Klein, Mother 4 7 Mr. Philip Kalban, Sister 9 12 Dr. Lenore Kreitman, Father 4 7 Mr. Joel Handel, Brother 10 13 Mrs. Nizza Heyman, Mother 7 10 Mr. Philip Kalban, Father 10 13 Mrs. Lucia Smigel, Mother-In-Law 7 10 Mr. Richard Goldman, Mother 10 13 Mr. Michael Friedman, Father 8 11 Rabbi David Eliach, Brother

FOR ERUV STATUS: 212-838-2122 x 5. For questions or comments about the Eruv please contact Rabbi Tauber at Mechon L’Hoyroa: (845) 659-8777. NEW ADULT HEBREW CLASS with RABBI ELI BABICH

Would you like to brush up on your Hebrew reading skills, and/or have a deeper understanding of Jewish prayer? Whether you are a total beginner or just need a refresher, we have the class for you!

Rabbi Eli Babich will be teaching a warm and intimate Hebrew read- ing class for adults in January and February. This 6-part class will also include davening instruction and explanations of the various prayers. The class will meet at Fifth Avenue Synagogue on Wednesday evenings, beginning on Wednesday, January 15 at 6:00 pm. The cost for the course is $36, which will cover all textbooks and materials. Please register at www.5as.org or email @5as.org.

Learning Hebrew and understanding the prayers is one of the best ways to enhance your connection to Judaism. Please join us for this special opportunity.

UPCOMING PROPHETS CLASS with RABBI ELI BABICH

Monday, January 6, 6:30 PM at FAS. Join us as we continue to explore the lives of the Prophets Samuel, King David, King Solomon and others. Study these dynamic Biblical personalities and see how their lives and legacies left us not only with incredible stories but with valuable life lessons as well.

Pizza will be provided. Please RSVP to [email protected].

WEEKLY TUESDAY NIGHT CLASS with RESIDENT SCHOLAR RABBI DR. MICHAEL ROSENSWEIG

Rabbi Rosensweig’s Talmud class continues next Tuesday night, January 7, at 7:30 PM at FAS. Rabbi Rosensweig is teaching Tractate Chulin.

NEW THREE-PART SERIES with LISA BABICH

Please join us for a 3-class series with Rebbetzin Lisa Babich: “LIVING JEWISH”

The first class takes place on Thursday, January 9 at 6:30 PM at FAS: “The Revitalizing Power of Shabbat.”

The next two classes to follow: Wednesday, February 26 (Location TBD): “Parenting the Jewish Way: A perspective on how to raise children in a meaningful way” and Wednesday, March 18 (Location TBD): “Sticks and Stones AND WORDS Can Hurt You: The Torah perspective and laws of proper speech.”

Sushi will be provided. Please RSVP to [email protected]. *These classes are being jointly sponsored by Fifth Avenue Synagogue Condolence

Fifth Avenue Synagogue regrets to inform you of the passing of Henry Muss ob”m, beloved brother of our dear member Dr. Elizabeth Muss.

Shiva will be observed at 530 Park Avenue, Apt 9D. Shiva visits are welcome on Saturday night, January 4, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Sunday from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, and on Monday - Wednesday evenings from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

FAS Welcomes MORTON A. KLEIN

NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA

PLEASE JOIN US NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER JANUARY 10, 2020

Mr. Klein will be introduced by Mrs. Inge Rennert, and he will speak on the topic: “The Orwellian Lies Against Israel.”

Mr. Klein will also address us for a Q&A session during Seudah Shlishit on Shabbat, January 11.

Members: $80/Adult, $40/Child; Non-Members: $100/Adult, $50 Child. Kids program during the speech.

Please RSVP: www.5as.org, email [email protected] or call 212-838-2122.

Morton A. Klein is National President of the Zionist Organization of Amer- ica (ZOA), the oldest pro-Israel group in the U.S., founded in 1897. Mr. Klein is widely regarded as one of the leading Jewish activists in the United States. He is a child of Holocaust survivors, born in a displaced persons camp in Gunzberg, Germany. Klein is a published academic, having served as a lecturer at Temple University and as a biostatistician at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the Linus Pauling Institute. FAS YOUTH PROGRAM EVERY SHABBAT & HOLIDAY!

-Youth Groups Ages 5+ led by Yosef Itzkowitz; 4th Floor - 9:30 AM

- Junior Congregation Ages 1-4 led by Rivkah Halpert; 5th Floor - 10:30 AM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Nava Moriya Efune, 2 Rachel Khalil, 11 Maximillian Harlan Obstfeld, 12 Alexandra Aliza Winn, 12

FAS SPEAKER SERIES: FIFTH AVENUE WELCOMES BENJAMIN ANTHONY

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020, 7:00 PM at FAS.

Mr. Anthony will speak on the following topic: “The Battle for The Jewish Future: Europe, America, Israel.”

Benjamin Anthony is the founder and director of Our Soldiers Speak (www.oursoldiersspeak.org). This U.S. based, 501(c)(3), non-for-profit organization is the sole vehicle globally through which the IDF, the Isra- el National Police and the Israeli Ministry of Jus- tice dispatch senior ranked, active officials to select graduate schools throughout the English speaking world.

Benjamin is the lead lecturer for the organization which has reached diverse audiences at more than 450 campuses across several continents. He has lectured before students and academics at every Ivy League college and has been the keynote speaker for Israel Bonds, CAMERA, CUFI, and numerous Jewish Federations. Benjamin has also spoken at some of the most prestigious Synagogues around the world. In 2013 he spoke at the plenary session of the AIPAC Convention in Washington DC. Benjamin also ar- ranges and oversees high level briefings by senior members of the Israel defense es- tablishment for elected officials, including within the US Administration, the US Senate and the USCongress, on matters relating to the state of Israel and her strategic relationship and position in the international community.

Of particular note is his service to key members of the U.S. Administration as an advi- sor on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and potential avenues toward its resolution. A Sergeant in the I.D.F. combat reserves, Benjamin is a veteran of service in: ▪ The Second Lebanon War, 2006 ▪ Operation Pillar of Defense, 2012 ▪ Operation Protective Edge, 2014.

He has served in Judea and Samaria/The West Bank and along Israel’s northern border. Benjamin is a graduate of the University of Manchester, UK.

RSVP: www.5as.org or email [email protected].

You are cordially invited to the Fifth Avenue Synagogue New Members Shabbat Dinner Friday, January 31, 2020.

Join us as we welcome renowned speaker Rabbi YY Jacobson acclaimed for his humor and inspiration.

Shabbat service at 5:00 PM. Dinner promptly at 6:00 PM. Great Kids Program!

Fifth Avenue Synagogue 5 East 62nd Street, NY, NY 10065 Kindly RSVP by Friday, January 24, 2020. For more information please email [email protected], call 212-838-2122, or register at www.5as.org.

RABBI YOSEF YITZCHAK JACOBSON

One of America’s premier Jewish scholars in Torah and Jewish mys- ticism, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (YY) Jacobson is one of the most sought after speakers in the Jewish world today, lecturing to Jewish and non -Jewish audiences on six continents and in forty states, and serving as teacher and mentor to thousands across the globe. He is considered to be one of the most successful, passionate and mesmerizing com- municators of Judaism today, culling his ideas from the entire spec- trum of Jewish thought and making them relevant to contemporary audiences. Rabbi YY Jacobson was the first rabbi ever to be invited by the Pentagon to deliver the religious keynote to the US military Chief of Chaplains and to the National Security Agency. At the con- ference he was hailed “The Jewish Billy Graham.” Rabbi Jacobson founded and serves as dean of TheYeshiva.net, teaching, via the web, one of the largest Torah classes in the world today, with thousands of students globally. Former- ly, he served as editor-in-chief of the largest Yiddish English newspaper existing today, The Algemeiner Journal, and as spiritual leader of Congregation Bais Shmuel in New York. THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS - 5780 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

Our Sages teach us that charity serves as a source of blessing both for good health and prosperity. Please consider assisting the Synagogue by participating in this year’s 5780/2019-2020 Annual Campaign. Below is a list of those who have made contributions thus far to the Annual Campaign in an amount of $500 or more. Please contact President Jacob Gold, (212) 980-0140, [email protected], Vice President Kim Heyman, [email protected], Rachel Akrongold, [email protected], Sheila Montgomery, [email protected], or call the Synagogue office at (212) 838-2122 regarding your contribution for the new year. We thank all contributors for their support! Please make your donation today!

——————————— BENEFACTOR ($250,000 & ABOVE) ———————————

Larry Heyman, The Hirsch/Friedman Families, Inge & Ira Leon Rennert

———————————— DIAMOND ($100,000-$250,000) ———————————

———————————— EMERALD ($50,000-$100,000) ————————————

Lauren & J. Ezra Merkin, Ilyssa & Evan Schwartzberg

———————————— SAPPHIRE ($25,000-$50,000) ————————————

Marilyn & Lawrence Friedland, George Klein & Family, Ruth & Ted Mirvis, Drs. Brenda and Walter Molofsky

———————————— PLATINUM ($18,000-$25,000) ———————————

Nina & Mitch Davidson, Sandra & Jeffrey Justin, Inga & Keith Rubenstein, Tammy & Randy Winn

———————————— GOLD ($10,000-$18,000) ————————————

Tikva & Oscar Gluck, Lilly & Jacob Gold, Linda & Myron Schonfeld

———————————— SILVER ($5,000-$10,000) ————————————

Randy & Mark Belnick, Yael & Barak Dunayer, Liz & Dr. Shaun Honig, Dr. David A. Present

————————— BRONZE ($1,800-$5,000) ——————————

Janie & Robert Fisher, Carol & Dr. David Goddard, Michele & Laurence Gould, Sandra & Howard Hoffen, Fran & Philip Kalban, Wesley & Evan LePatner, Basya & Andrew Lowinger, Louis Perlman, Miera & Alan Rechtschaffen, Marcia & Stanley Reiter, Susan & Martin Sanders, Yisroel Schulman, Joni & George White

—————————— SUPPORTER ($500-$1,800) ——————————

Lisa & Rabbi Eli Babich, Marilyn & Jack Belz, Sherry Bloom, Judy Geldzahler, Roberta & Robert Hadi, Dr. Claudia Oberwerger & Dr. Yitzchak Frank, Sandra & Michael Kamen, Steven Leiter, Audrey & Fredrik Schwartzberg, The Torossian Family, Eva & Miklos Weinberger

AIPAC POLICY CONFERENCE

We are exploring the possibility of a Fifth Avenue Synagogue delegation to the AIPAC Policy Conference* in 2020 and/or 2021. The 2020 AIPAC conference will take place in Washington, D.C. from March 1 - March 3. The dates of the 2021 conference are March 7 - March 9. Please contact Rabbi Babich or Rachel Akrongold if you are interested in attending or learning more. Thank you!

*The American Israel Public Affairs Commitee (AIPAC) is a bipartisan organization of U.S. citizens committed solely to strengthening, protecting and promoting the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel. The AIPAC Policy Conference is the largest gathering of America’s pro-Israel community.

FAS WOMEN’S CHEVRA KADISHA

The Chevra at Fifth Avenue is a long-standing shul tradition and we need new members to continue the beautiful mitzvot of Tahara prior to burial and getting the shiva homes of FAS members ready for arrival after the funeral of their loved one. It is a tremendous honor to participate in these important mitzvot and to comfort our FAS family.

For more information please contact Linda Schonfeld at 917-295-6826/[email protected]; or Laura Rabinowitz at 917-379-3331/[email protected]. SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Friday, January 3

Candle Lighting…………………………….…………..4:22 PM Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat ……………………………...4:30 PM

Shabbat, January 4 Daf Yomi in the Library.…………………...…..……...8:00 AM Parsha Class with Rabbi Babich……………………….8:30 AM Shacharit……...... …………………….…….……….....9:00 AM K’riat HaTorah………………………….……………..9:50 AM Mussaf………………………………………………..10:40 AM Announcements………..…...…...... …………………11:05 AM Daf Yomi Siyum……………………………………..11:10 AM Adon Olam….…………………...……………...……11:25 AM

Shabbat Afternoon Schedule Daf Yomi in the Library………………………….……3:05 PM Mincha/Seudah Shlishit………………………………..4:05 PM Shabbat Ends…………………………………………...5:27 PM

Sunday, January 5 Daf Yomi………………………….…………….……..7:15 AM Shacharit………..………………….…..……………....8:30 AM Mincha/Ma’ariv………...………….…………………..4:30 PM

Monday, January 6 Daf Yomi………………………….…………….……..6:30 AM Shacharit………..………………….…..……………....7:30 AM Mincha/Ma’ariv………...………….…………………..4:30 PM

Tuesday, January 7 - Asara B’Tevet Fast Begins…...………………………………….…….5:51 AM Daf Yomi……………………………………………....6:30 AM Shacharit……………………………………………….7:30 AM Early Mincha….12:45 PM; Mincha/Ma’riv…………...4:20 PM Fast Ends……………………………………………….5:26 PM *Talmud Class with Rabbi Rosensweig at 7:30 PM

Wednesday, January 8 - Thursday, January 9 Daf Yomi………………………….…………….……..6:30 AM Shacharit……………………………………………….7:30 AM Mincha/Ma’ariv………...………….…………………..4:30 PM

Friday, January 10 Daf Yomi…………………………….………….…….6:30 AM Shacharit……...……………………….….….………..7:30 AM Candle Lighting…………………………….………….4:29 PM Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat………….………………….4:35 PM Dinner with Morton Klein……………………………..5:35 PM