For the week of: July 11, 2009 Tamuz 19, 5769 B’nai Parshas Pinchas Stone Chumash: 876 - 898 Congregation Haftorah: 1192 - 1193 TheOrthodox Synagogue For ALL In Hampton Roads Davening & Learning Schedule

Fri. 7/10 Daf Yomi 6:00 AM This week's Kiddush is being sponsored by Sam and Danielle Leibovici Shachris 7:00 AM in honor of their daughter, Ava, on her first birthday. Mincha/Maariv 6:45 PM One cannot accept Shab- bos or light candles before Shalosh Seudos is sponsored by Frieda Igdal in memory of her 6:56 PM mother, Ruth Igdal. A special Siyum Mishnayos will be held in mem- Candle Lighting 7:15 PM ory of Mrs. Igdal.

Shabbos 7/11 Shacharis 9:00 AM Daf Yomi 6:15 PM Sefer Shmuel cancelled UPCOMING EVENTS Boys’ Learning cancelled Mincha 7:55 PM RABBI S ILVER ’S WEEKLY C LASSES : Maariv/Havdalah 9:11 PM

Sun. 7/12 Shabbos: 40 minutes before Mincha: Navi (Sefer Shmuel) Daf Yomi 7:00 AM Sunday: 9:00 AM: Gemorah Shiur: Rosh Hashanah 8:00 PM: Halacha class Shachris 8:00 AM Monday: 8:00 PM: Philosophies of the Parsha Rosh Hashanah class cancelled Tuesday: Noon: Ladies’ only - Sefer Tehillim at the JCC Mincha 8:10 PM Always check Davening & Learning Schedule for cancellations. Halacha Class cancelled

Mon. 7/13 PIRKEI A VOS FOR WOMEN Daf Yomi 6:00 AM We are now in the “second round” of Pirkei Avos (Chapter 6). All Shachris 6:45 AM Parsha Class cancelled women and girls are welcome to join. This week’s class will be held at Mincha 8:10 PM the home of Joyce Swain at 5:00 PM. Please

Tues. 7/14 bring your own Pirkei Avos. BIRTHDAYS Daf Yomi 6:00 AM Corey Reid Siegel 7/12 Shachris 7:00 AM Robert Bloch 7/14 Ladies’ Learning cancelled TEHILLIM C LASS ON CD Aliza Swain 17th 7/14 Mincha 8:10 PM We are now offering Set # 2 of the Tehillim Shmuel Tzvi Schwartz 11th 7/16 Wed. 7/15 Class, which covers Chapters 6 through 10. Eliezer Haber 1st 7/17 Daf Yomi 6:00 AM The set is $36.00. Chapter 11 is available for Shachris 7:00 AM ANNIVERSARIES Partners in 7:00 PM $8.00. If you are interested in this set or the Mr. & Mrs. Seth Schoenfeld Mincha 8:10 PM 6th 7/13 earlier set (the Introduction and Chapters 1

Thurs. 7/16 through 5), please contact Nancy Berman. YAHRZEITS Daf Yomi 6:00 AM Melvin Berman 7/11 Shachris 6:45 AM Helena Frohlich 7/11 Cantorial Class 7:00 PM Arlene Sidman 7/11 Mincha 8:10 PM Edith Friedenbach 7/12 Fri. 7/17 Alex Gottlieb 7/12 Daf Yomi 6:00 AM Irving Igdal 7/12 Shachris 7:00 AM Sara Ashburn 7/13 Mincha 6:40 PM Michael Horenstein 7/15 One cannot accept Shab- Jack Pollack 7/15 bos or light candles before Gershon Zelikovich 7/15 6:53 PM Ben Juren 7/16 Candle Lighting 7:10 PM Shirley Fox 7/17 Simon Mazel 7/17 Rose Brandt Tonelson 7/17

Please visit our newly designed website (after Shabbos!) at www.bnaiisrael.org Rabbi Frand On Parshas Pinchas

The Unpredictable Development of the Tribes of and Binyomin

Bamidbar is known as the Chumash of "Pekudim" [the censuses], hence the English name for it – the . The first census occurs in Parshas Bamidbar and the second occurs in Parshas Pinchas. The first counting took place not long after the exodus from Egypt. The latter counting took place at the end of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Virtually all the people counted in the first counting died in the wilderness and did not make it into the Land of Israel. The people that are counted in Parshas Pinchas represent the "new generation" -- the people who are about to enter the Land of Israel.

The Chofetz Chaim in his sefer on Chumash points out a very interesting phenomenon. The total count of the Tribe of Benyamin was 45,600. In terms of total population, Benyamin was the fourth smallest tribe. The Tribe of Dan had 64,400 people, making Dan the second most populous tribe. This statistic is striking because Benyamin had 10 sons, while Dan had only one son. Furthermore, the single son that Dan had was severely handicapped. He was deaf.

[In the past, we have mentioned the thought of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz regarding the incident described in the Medrash of the activism of Chushim son of Dan in killing Eisav, when the latter tried to interfere in the burial of Yaakov in the Mearas haMachpelah. All the other children and grandchildren became accustomed to the audacity of the situation because they saw it develop slowly over time. However, Chushim, who due to his deafness was not aware of what was happening, heard about the audacity all at once and immediately took a club and killed Eisav. This demonstrates, Rav Chaim said, how easy it is to become accustomed to an intolerable situation].

Picture a family gathering at the home of Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov is seated at the head of the table and his sons are seated around the table. Binyomin has ten children! Binyomin's children are all participating in the Divrei Torah and other discussions taking place at the table. Poor Dan has only one son and he is deaf – unable to participate in any of the discussions. What is going to be with the poor tribe of Dan? How will Chushim ever find a shidduch? How is he ever going to make a living? Dan must be losing sleep at night worrying about what would become of his tribe in the future.

The educated prognosis would surely have been that Dan would be the weakest link in the chain of the tradition of Yaakov Avinu. Binyomin, on the other hand, according to any educated guest would have easily become the greatest of all tribes. And yet what happened? For whatever reason, even with his ten sons, Binyomin had a relatively small tribe and Dan became one of the largest tribes from his single handicapped child.

The Chofetz Chaim uses this as an example to show that one never knows what the future will bring. One can never tell "from whence my help cometh" [Tehillim 121:1]. We never know how life turns out. As a Rebbe I see the same thing. I've been in this business quite a while. Sometimes I assume that the greatest of things will come from a student. Other students cause a teacher to despair: "What will ever become of him?" Invariably, teachers are surprised. A person never knows from whom he will have nachas [satisfaction]. A person never knows who will become what. I've seen it time and time again. The lesson of Dan and Binyamin is that life is long and has many very strange twists and turns to it. We cannot predict the future. A person never knows from where salvation will come.