Candle Welcome to the DAT ! Lighting (earliest) 6:13p Ki Teiztei (latest) 7:18p August 29, 2020 - 9 Elul, 5780 Bara Loewenthal and Nathan Rabinovitch, Co- Presidents Havdalah 8:16p

We invite men and women to sign up for by Sacks our in person minyanim, located at The D’var Jewish Experience and the Polotsky Our parsha contains more laws than any other. Some of them have residence. For those unable to make it, we generated much study and debate, especially two at the beginning, the law of the captive woman and that of the “stubborn and rebellious son.” There encourage everyone to join us for our virtual is, however, one law that deserves much more attention than it has daily davening and learning opportunities. generally received, namely the one placed between these two. It concerns All davening times are published on our the laws of inheritance: website. If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, To join us virtually, download the ZOOM and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife app to your computer or phone. The he does not love, when he wills his property to his sons, he computer log in is: must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife https://us02web.zoom.us/j/94819261580? he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the pwd=MXpoOExuVlRubFltZmN5ZGlFQlVaZz wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his 09 unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of Meeting ID: 948 1926 1580 all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him. Deut.( 21:15-17) Password: dm613 Note that the Hebrew word here translated as “does not love” or “unloved” is senuah, which normally means “hated.” We will see later why Virtual Shabbat Opportunities: this strong word is used. Davening will no longer be available over zoom On the face of it, this is a straightforward, logical law. It tells us that love FRIDAY must not override justice. The firstborn, in ancient Israel and elsewhere, Drasha: 7:00 pm have special rights, especially in connection with inheritance. In most (Shema should be recited after 8:17 pm) societies they tended to succeed to their father’s position. That was the case in Israel in relation to kingship and priesthood. They did not inherit all SHABBAT the father’s property, but they did inherit twice as much as the other chil- Parasha (Artscroll Chumash): dren. Page 1046/Haftarah: Page 1201 It was important to have rules like the above to avoid damaging family (Shema should be recited before 9:44 am) splits every time a death occurred or was imminent. The Torah gives us a graphic example of the court intrigue that went on, as David lay dying, as to

which of his children should be his heir. More recently, lehavdil, there have See shabbat minyanim times on page 3 been several examples of Hassidic dynasties irreparably torn apart because different groups wanted different individuals to inherit the leadership. Daily Minyan Schedule There is a tension between individual liberty and the common good. Located on zoom and at TJE Individual liberty says, “This wealth is mine. I should be able to do with it SHACHARIT what I like, including deciding to whom to hand it on.” But there is also the Sunday: 8:00 am welfare of others, including the other children, other family members, and Monday and Thursday: 6:30 am the community and society that are damaged by family disputes. The Torah Tuesday and Wednesday: 6:35 am here draws a line, acknowledging the rights of the biological firstborn and Friday: 6:20 am circumscribing the rights of the father. The law as such is straightforward. What makes it remarkable is that it MINCHA/MAARIV reads as if it were directed against a specific biblical figure, namely Jacob. Sunday-Thursday: 7:15 pm One connection is linguistic. The key terms in our law are an opposition Friday: 7:05 pm between ahuvah, “loved,” and senuah, “hated/unloved.” This opposition occurs ten times in the Torah. Three have to do with the relationship (Continued on Page 2) DAT Minyan is a dynamic and friendly Modern Orthodox congregation for all ages and dedicated to meaningful personal spiritual development, community growth, youth involvement, Torah education, and Religious . DAT Minyan - 560 S. Monaco Pkwy., Denver, CO 80224 - 720-941-0479 - www.datminyan.org D’VAR TORAH (continued)

Rabbi Sacks (Continued from Page 1) between us and God: “those who hate Me and those who love Me.” That leaves seven other cases. Four are in the paragraph above. The other three are all about Jacob: two of them about his love for Rachel in preference to Leah (Genesis 29:30-31, 32-33), the third about his love for Joseph in preference to the other sons (Genesis 37:4). Both caused great grief within the family and had devastating consequences in the long run. This is how the Torah describes Jacob’s feelings for Rachel: Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you (Laban) seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel” … So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her … And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him (Laban) another seven years. (Genesis 29:18-30) And this is its description of the impact it had on Leah: When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, He enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben; for she declared, “It means: ‘The Lord has seen my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’” She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because the Lord heard that I was hated and has given me this one also,” so she named him Simeon. (Gen. 29:31- 33) I have translated the word senuah here as “hated” simply to give a sense of the shock of the text as it is in Hebrew. We also understand why this word is used. Leah was, as the text says, loved less than Rachel. Jacob did not hate her, but she felt hated, because less loved, thus unloved. This feeling dominated her marriage as we see in the names she gave her eldest children. The rivalry continues and intensifies in the next generation: When his brothers saw that their father loved him (Joseph) more than any of his brothers, they hated him and could not speak a peaceful word to him. (Genesis 37:4) Less loved, the brothers felt hated, and so they hated the more loved Joseph. Love generates conflict, even though none of the parties want conflict. Jacob didn’t hate Leah or her sons or the sons of the handmaids. He did not deliberately decide to love Rachel and later Joseph. Love doesn’t work like that. It happens to us, usually not of our choosing. Yet those outside the relationship can feel excluded and unloved. This feels like being hated. The Torah uses the word senuah to tell us how serious the feeling is. It is not enough to say “I love you too,” when every act, every word, every look says, “I love someone else more.” Which brings us to inheritance. Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob’s twelve sons, but the firstborn of Jacob’s beloved Rachel. Jacob proceeded to do what our parsha tells us not to do. He deprived Reuven, his and Leah’s firstborn, of the birthright, the double portion, and gave it instead to Joseph. To Joseph he said: Now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine no less than Reuben and Simeon. (Gen. 48:5) Later in the same chapter, he says: “I am about to die; but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. And now, I assign to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow” (Gen. 48:21-22). There are many interpretations of this verse, but according to , “This refers to the birthright, that Joseph’s children should receive two portions when Canaan would be divided amongst the tribes.” Jacob’s other children would receive one portion, while Joseph would receive two, one for each of his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. It is against this practice that the law in our parsha is directed. That is what is extraordinary. Jacob/Israel is the father of our people. But specifically in this respect, his conduct must not be taken as a precedent. We are forbidden to act as he did. The Torah is not telling us that Jacob did wrong. There are all sorts of explanations that reconcile his behaviour with later law. Jacob did not keep the Torah except in the (Ramban), and his gift of a double portion to Joseph happened in Egypt. We are forbidden to transfer the birthright on grounds of love alone, but we may do so if we believe that the firstborn has significant character deficiencies, which Jacob believed to be true of Reuben (Gen. 49:3-4; Abarbanel). But the law is telling us something very profound indeed. Love is the highest of emotions. We are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul and might. But it is also, in family contexts, fraught with danger. Love ruined Jacob’s life, time and again: in his relationship with Esau (Isaac loved Esau, Rebecca loved Jacob), in the relationship between Leah and Rachel, and in the relationship between Joseph and his brothers. Love brings joy. It also brings tears. It brings some people close, but makes others feel distanced, rejected. Therefore, says the Torah, in our command: when love is likely to be the cause of conflict, it must take second place to justice. Love is partial, justice is impartial. Love is for someone specific; justice is for everyone. Love brings personal satisfaction; justice brings social order.

Please help make our prayer service more meaningful by refraining from talking during the service. D’VAR TORAH (continued)

Rabbi Sacks (Continued from Page 2)

Judaism is the most effective attempt in history to provide the proper balance between the particular and the universal. It is both. It worships the universal God by way of a particular faith. It believes in a universal connection between God and humanity – we are all in God’s image (Gen. 1:27) – and a particular one – “My child, My firstborn, Israel” (Ex. 4:22). It believes in a universal covenant with Noah, and a particular one, with Abraham and later the Israelites. So, it believes in the universality of justice and the particularity of love and the importance of both. When it comes to the relationship between humans, there is an order of priority. First create justice, then express love. For if we let those priorities be reversed, allowing injustice in the name of love, we will divide and destroy families and groups and suffer the consequences for a long time. A seemingly minor law about inheritance is in fact a major statement of Jewish values. I believe that got it right by placing love at the heart of the religious life – love of God, neighbour and stranger – but at the same time recognising that without justice, love will not save us. It may even destroy us.

Shabbat Shalom

TJE Minyan Shabbat Davening Outdoor Auxiliary Minyan Schedule: Times: Location: Polotsky’s backyard deck, enter through the gate to Masks required, sign up here the right of the house. Limited to 25 people. Sign up here. Pre- reservation is required. Social distancing of six feet will be

accommodated and enforced. Masks are required for all FRIDAY: attendees during the entire service. Bring your own Siddur and Shacharit: 6:20 am Chumash. Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Maariv: 6:00 pm Friday night: SHABBAT: Mincha: 7:15 pm Shacharit: 8:00 am Kabbalat Shabbat: 7:25 pm Mincha: 7:10 pm Shabbat: Maariv: 8:16 pm Shacharit: 9:30 am– 11:15 am

NEW KIDS ART GALLERY Kids are invited to make a piece of artwork using the theme ‘Ahava’ - love. Send your drawing to [email protected] to have your work featured in the newsletter! See page 8 for details.

Please help make our prayer service more meaningful by refraining from talking during the service. D’VAR TORAH

Dvar Torah by David Andorsky

Parshat Ki Teiztei begins with instructions about going to war, contains additional mitzvot regarding war in the middle, and finally concludes with the commandment to wage war on Amalek. In this dvar torah, I would like to bring a few teachings from the Netivot Shalom, written by the Slonimer Rebbe, R’ Sholom Berezovsky (1911-2000). R’ Sholom Noach writes that these wars we are instructed to fight are not (only) physical ones, but “an eternal battle that the must fight against the enemy in his soul, the yetzer hara.” It is fitting that we read this parsha during the month of Elul, as we begin a period of introspection leading up the Yamim Nora’im.

What is the nature of the yetzer hara, typically translated as the “ inclination”? We often think of this as the qualities that lead us to sin: jealousy, envy, lust, laziness, and so on. But is it possible to defeat the yetzer hara? The Netivot Shalom teaches:

The purpose of our descent into the world is to battle against the yetzer hara, our mortal enemy. We may battle the yetzer hara many times and overcome it, to then be surprised when it rises again against us, and we must realize that this is mistaken thinking. Indeed, we came into this world in order to battle; this is our purpose and role in this world. Therefore, even if we have overcome the yetzer hara, we are given another more powerful yetzer hara, and then one even more powerful, with which to do constant battle. This is our essential role in life. (p144, #2)

Thus, continual struggle with the yetzer hara is the human condition.

Indeed, the yetzer hara may be an essential part of the world that cannot and should not be fully eradicated. As we learn in Rabba (9:7):

R’ Shmuel bar Nachman said: The words “and behold it was very good” [Bereshit 1:31 referring to the 6th day of creation] refer to the yetzer hara. But how can the yetzer hara be called “very good”? Because if it were not for the yetzer hara, a person would not build a house, marry, having children, or engage in business.”

Even though the yetzer hara often leads us astray, it also embodies a sort of energy or life force that is an intrinsic part of the world. The refers to the yetzer hara as the “sitra achara,” the “other side.” To me, this seems very close to the idea of the “shadow” described by the German psychoanalyst Karl Jung. Jungian psychology teaches that this shadow consists of the impulses, desires, and thoughts that are “bad” – in other words, the yetzer hara. But simply trying to suppress or smother the shadow / yetzer hara will only result in it emerging in a more dangerous and destructive form.

Where does this leave us? We are told that we must struggle continually with the yetzer hara – but the yetzer hara in each of us is an intrinsic part of creation that cannot be eradicated, any more than one can eradicate one side of a sheet of paper without eradicating the other.

Elsewhere in his writings, R’ Sholom Noach cites a teaching of the Ba’al Shem Tov that sheds some light on this matter. A common Hasidic and Kabbalistic theme is that each of us is born into this world to accomplish a certain task – a certain tikkun (repair) of something in this world. Nobody else can perform this task for you, and it is your life’s work to discover what that task is.

Please help make our prayer service more meaningful by refraining from talking during the service. D’VAR TORAH

Dvar Torah by David Andorsky

The Ba’al Shem Tov then says, God is good and all of God’s creations are good. Therefore, how could it be that God would have created anything in you that is not good? How could it be that what you think of as your negative qualities (for example, envy, anger, jealousy, laziness, etc) are bad, since they were created in you by God, who is all good? Rather, the Besht continues, those very things that you think of as your flaws are actually the tools God has given you to complete your individual, unique mission in this world.

The Besht is asking us to look at our yetzer hara and see what the other side of those qualities might be. For example, do you feel that you are quick to lose your temper? Perhaps this is the shadow of a fierce belief in justice and fairness. With some contemplation, we can all find things that we wish were different about us, but that are bound up in unique strengths and positive qualities that we also share.

Teshuva, which literally means “returning,” begins with confessing where we have gone astray. In light of the Besht’s teaching, this confession cannot be an attempt to excise or eliminate the part of us that has sinned. Rather, it requires radical acceptance, a willingness to say, “I did these things,” and to accept the part of us that has led us astray. We can then begin to understand how those parts of us can be turned in a positive direction, returning us to God and to our truest selves.

Shabbat Shalom.

Weekly Learning Opportunities at the DAT Minyan!

 Vayikra Voyage for Women: Join Liora Wittlin for a weekly deep dive into the central book of the Torah--which also happens to be the least understood. Contrary to popular belief, Vayikra is anything but boring, and teaches us the very foundations of Avodat Hashem. The class takes place over zoom on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. Zoom link HERE, password dm613  New Zoom series by Howie Shapiro! Are you looking for ways to enhance your davening at home? Are you finding it difficult to concentrate on davening or even have given up davening all together? Join us for a free Zoom class series on Jewish meditation with a focus on tefilah enhancement, led by Howie Shapiro. The classes will be taking place on September 2nd, 9th, and 16th, at 8pm. To sign up, please send an email to [email protected]. Zoom link HERE, password 248950  Join Ellyn Hutt on Tuesdays from 2 pm– 3 pm for a women's "Words of Wisdom" class. Zoom link HERE . Meeting ID: 884 9530 8316.  Parsha for Women class led by Ellyn Hutt on Thursdays from 11 am– 12 pm. Zoom link HERE. Meeting ID: 922 119 870

Please help make our prayer service more meaningful by refraining from talking during the service. DAT MINYAN NEWS, EVENTS AND MILESTONES

Community Announcements

 We are looking for youth artists for our Rosh Hashana newsletter! Email [email protected] with any submissions!  As the Chagim approach, we find ourselves unable to gather together as we have in past years, making our connection with our friends and community all that more important. We are pleased to bring back our Shana Tova Card, designed by our youth members. The card will be mailed to our entire congregation. If you would like to have your name printed on the card, please click HERE  The DAT Minyan Lulav and Etrog sale will open soon. Email with details to come.  SHAWL this week will be taught by Rachel Rabinovitch, “Hearing voices: understanding Shofar blowing on Rosh Hashana.” In the Rabinovitch yard at 5:30 pm, mask required.  Daily and Shabbat Minyan will continue to take place at The Jewish Experience. The sign up sheet can be found Here. An additional Minyan will be taking place in the Polotsky’s backyard. See page 3 for more details.  Merkaz Torah V’Chesed is proud to announce their 12th Annual Evening of Inspiration, featuring the world- renowned speaker Mr. Charlie Harary. The virtual Evening of Inspiration will take place Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 8:00 PM. Stay tuned for more details.  Join The DAT Minyan and Israel Bonds in a live virtual event featuring renowned Israeli chef and entrepreneur, Michael Solomonov, on Thursday September 11th, at 6 pm. More info and register HERE  The CELL is offering complimentary tickets for their virtual event on September 10th at 7 pm, limited availability. “Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election on National Security”, featuring national political leaders on both sides of the aisle– Eliot Engel, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee & U.S. Congressman (D-NY), Ed Royce, Fmr. Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee & U.S. Congressman (R-CA), and Tom Sanderson, Co-founder of the Transnational Threats Project at CSIS. There will also be a special tribute, “Colorado Remembers 9/11”, hosted by Governor Jared Polis & Mayor Michael B. Hancock. RSVP Required at tinyurl.com/CELLRemember20

DAT Minyan acknowledges the following milestones* of our members this Shabbat and in the coming week:

Kim Fishman, Susie Fishman, Yana Levandovsky, Rebecca Mogyoros, Zev Narrowe, Beth Ann Wagy

Jonathan & Sarah Prostak– 12 years Craig & Karen Schottenstein– 43 years

Harriet Brooks (Channah Rochel bar Zev Volf)- 10 Elul (August 30)

*These details were obtained from the DAT Minyan database, which contains information provided by our members when they joined. We apologize for any omissions or errors. For changes, please log on to your account and update the information as needed, or contact the office at 720-941-0479. THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH YOUR GENEROSITY You can add your name to this list with a legacy gift to the DAT We would like to thank our Legacy Society donors for investing in our Minyan. To arrange for your gift or for more information about our future by naming the DAT Minyan with a gift in their will, trust, Legacy Society program, please contact any of the following retirement account or life insurance policy. Our Legacy Society Committee Members: Sarah Raphaely and Steve Weiser. includes:

Rob Allen Nathan and Rachel Rabinovitch

anonymous Mark and Sarah Raphaely Marc and Melanie Avner Harley and Sara Rotbart

Graeme and Irit Bean Stuart Senkfor and Leslie Stewart Myndie Brown Michael Stutzer

Steve and Ellyn Hutt Steve and Lori Weiser

Please help make our prayer service more meaningful by refraining from talking during the service. MORE DAT MINYAN NEWS AND EVENTS

This Day in - August 29/ 9 Elul  1643: The oldest existing ketubbah written in the Western Hemisphere was executed in Surinam at the marriage of Yehudit to Hakaham Yizhak Meatob.  1958: United States Air Force Academy opens in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with approximately fifty Jewish cadets attend- ing the Academy.  1566 BCE: Dan, the son of Jacob and Bilhah, fifth of the Twelve Tribes, was born on 9 Elul in Haran.  1900: passing away of R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin. Rav Tzadok was one of the most famous chassidic leaders in the second half of the nineteenth century. An original thinker and prolific author, his many works span the gamut of and beyond, addressing topics as diverse as Jewish law, mysticism, chassidic thought, biblical interpretation, and even a collection of scholarly interpretations revealed to him in dreams.

Denver Shabbat Weather Forecast

Refuah Shelayma

Please include the following names in your prayers. May each be granted a Refuah Shelayma. Names are kept on the list until the next Rosh Chodesh. Help us keep the list accurate by verifying the necessary details each month on the Cholim Document at https://goo.gl/aeyJG2.

Avraham Mordechai ben Chaya Leah Michel ben Leah Avram ben Golda Simma Michoel Zisel ben Barbara Bella bat Malka Miriam Adina bat Sara Eliyahu Chaim ha Cohen ben Sara Rifka Mordechai ben Chaya Hannah Eliyahu Dovid ben Ita Sheiva Raphael Lior ben Miriam Gershon ben Galina Roshka bat Bryna Guy Chaim ben Rita Shmuel Aharon ben Jenny Leah bat Simcha Yonatan Leib Volf HaLevi ben Altahenya Shulamit Levick Yitzchak ben Bracha Yonatan Zeev ben Netaa Leya bat Sara Chaya Sarah Rivka bat Leah Malka bat Mazel Tov Yossef ben Dinah Mascha bat Rus Asher Menachem ben Y’shayah Mayer Benya ben Nechama Dovid Mordechai Ben Bayla Rifka Mendel Ila ben Frida Miriam Borukh ben Eydya Michael ben Kay

The in our community have created a registry for those that are ill with COVID-19. The Denver Cholim Registry can be accessed at www.denvercholimregistry.weebly.com. Should you or someone you know need to be added to this registry, please contact Rabbi Gitler. MORE DAT MINYAN NEWS AND EVENTS