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KOL MEVASSER Bil’Am Offered a Macro -Perspective

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7 Tammuz 5774 5 July 2014 KOL MEVASSER Bil’am offered a macro -perspective. A mac- Macro, Micro, & Bal- ro -perspective sees the big picture, but KJ Schedule anced Perspectives does not focus on specific details. From Parashat Balak this grand perspective, the Israelites were a By Rabbi Marc D. Angel blessed nation, beloved by God, character- Erev Shabbat Balak / Friday, July 4th ized by orderliness and righteousness. Shaharit/Morning Prayer ........................ 7:30 am Standing on a mountain and gazing down ........................................... at the Israelite camp from a distance, Shir Hashirim 6:45 pm The Torah then provided a micro - Minhah/Arbith .......................................... 7:00 pm Bil’am offers magnificent words of blessing perspective. A micro -perspective focuses Shabbat Candlelighting ........................... 7:51 pm and praise. “None has beheld iniquity in on specific details, but omits the larger pic- Shabbat Balak / Saturday, July 5th Jacob, neither has one seen perverseness ture. It sees every blemish close up. Shaharit/Morning Prayer ........................ 8:30 am in Israel; the Lord his God is with Him… Minha, Seudah Shlisheet, Arvit ............... 7:00 pm (Bemidbar23:21) How goodly are your Motzei Shabbat / Havdallah .................... 8:58 pm If one looks at an oil painting masterpiece tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel from a proper distance, one experiences its Weekdays (24:5).” Bil’am had come to curse the Isra- beauty and majesty —but one will not see Sunday, July 6th elites, but ended up blessing them for their Shaharit .................................................. 7:30 am individual brush strokes. If one looks at the virtues. same painting while standing one inch Monday to Friday, July 7th to 11th Shaharit .................................................. 6:30 am away from it, one will see dabs of paint and After informing us of Bil’am’s lofty praises some blurred colors, but will not see the Erev Shabbat Pinhas / Friday, July 11th of Israel, the Torah provides a close up picture in its fullness. It is the same paint- Shaharit/Morning Prayer ........................ 7:30 am view of the Israelite camp: “…and the peo- ........................................... ing, but our perspective dramatically affects Shir Hashirim 6:45 pm Minhah/Arbith .......................................... 7:00 pm ple began to commit harlotry with the our reaction to it. Shabbat Candlelighting ........................... 7:49 pm daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; Perhaps the Torah juxtaposes the macro and the people did eat, and bow down to and micro perspectives in order to under- their gods…and the anger of the Lord was score an important point: life is complex. Flavors of kindled against Israel (25:1 -3).” Each individual, community and nation has its overarching character —which hopefully Babylon Will the real Israel please stand up? Is this is marked by idealism and piety; but also An Iraqi Cookbook a virtuous, righteous nation as described by has its blemishes and weaknesses. A wise Bil’am? Or is this a nation engaged in har- By Linda Dangoor observer must seek to maintain a balanced lotry and idolatry as described in the later 2nd edition perspective by keeping both the macro and passages of this Parasha? The answer: Special Offer—$30 micro aspects in mind. both are true…but only partially true. Reserve a Copy (Continued on page 3) 310.474.0559 Famous Sephardic Poets In Memoriam Yehuda Halevi, 1075 -1141 CE We remember these yahrzeit anniversaries for Shabbat Kiddush July 5 to 12, 2014. It is customary to light a me- Yehuda Halevi, one of the greatest Hebrew morial candle, donate tzedaka, & attend services poets of all time, was born in Toledo and is sponsored in memory of the preceding Shabbat. studied with the famous rabbinic scholar, her brother 8 Tammuz / Sunday, July 6th Isaac Alfasi. In addition to mastering biblical Isaac Shamsi Itzhak ben Shemuel Hebrew, Arabic and the intricacies of the Talmud, Judah explored the physical scienc- Manachy Nissim, z’’l 10 Tammuz / Tuesday, July 8th Khanbaba Pouladian Itzhak ben Avraham es, philosophy and metaphysics. He was especially proficient at writing poetry, and by Isaac Shamash Yitzhak Rahamim ben Avraham Hatoon bat Haviva soon attracted the attention of the great poet Emma Shapiro & Family Moses Ibn Ezra. It wasn't long before his 11 Tammuz / Wednesday, July 9th fame spread throughout the Jewish commu- Joseph Bensabat Yosef ben Simy Moryousef nities of Spain. Because Cordoba was the Moshe Sassoon Moshe ben Sasson cultural capital , Halevi migrated there and Solomon Leo Sassoon Shlomo ben Yamin found his voice as Israel's sweetest singer. Esther Levy Solomon Esther bat Leah Matana He left behind an abundance of prose, liturgy Condolences 12 Tammuz / Thursday, July 10th and poetry. In his most famous work, The Eshagh Sarraf Eshagh ben Yehuda to the family and friends of Kuzari, Halevi defends Judaism against the 14 Tammuz / Shabbat, July 12th assaults of the first crusade and discusses Manachy Nissim, z’’l Rachel Meyer Judah Rahel bat Aziza the connection between the Jewish people who passed away in Israel and the land of Israel. He is the brother of our dear member, Mrs. Emma Shapiro. May Hashem Weekly Readings: Torah Portion Balak console her and her family together My Heart is in the East Sefer Bamidbar / Book of Numbers 669 -682 with all the mourners of Tzion. My heart is in the east, and I in the Neviim / Prophets Haftara Micah 682 to 685 uttermost west — How can I find savor in food? How shall Refuah Shlemah it be sweet to me? Condolences Rahel bat Marcel How shall I render my vows and my Mordechai Cohen / Mordecai ben Avraham bonds, while yet to the family and friends of Moselle Amron/Mazal Tov bat Salha Matana Zion lies beneath the fetter of Edom, Djoe Mussry, z’’l Tilda Levy / Tilda bat Miriam and I in Arab chains? who passed away in Jakarta, Indonesia Joseph Sharaf / Yossef ben Jamila A light thing would it seem to me to leave She is the mother of our dear member, Maurice Ovadia / Moshe ben Noosha all the good things of Spain — Letizia Einy and siblings Loecky, Jack Pnina Herzbrun / Pnina bat Esther - - Seeing how precious in my eyes to behold and Irwan; mother in law of Ronald Michael Herzbrun / Michael Baruch ben Sarah the dust of the desolate Sanctuary. Einy, grandmother of five including Charles and Miranda Einy. May Hashem Translated by Nina Salaman from Heinrich Bro- console them together with all the Shabbat Shalom U’Mevorah dy, ed. Selected Poems of Jehudah Halevi mourners of Tzion. (Philadelphia: JPS, 1924, 1952). Wishing You a Peaceful Shabbat (Continued from page 1) Some years ago, I participated on a panel that dealt with American civilization. One of Who will take the place To see only the virtues and greatness of the panelists spoke bitterly of American an individual, community or nation is mis- of Eyal, Gilad & Naftali? shortcomings. He only seemed to be able guided. To focus only on the sins and er- to see vulgarity, materialism, hedonism, Below is an article written by a friend of mine rors of an individual, community or nation racism, social anomie. Everything was who is a Scottish Catholic Journalist. I took this is wicked. wrong with America. from his Facebook and couldn’t of written it bet- ter. I ask my friends here in Dallas, are there We who love and respect the State of Isra- While not discounting the many failings of three people who will go to Yeshiva and take the el and all that it means to the Jewish Peo- American society, I reminded this panelist vacancy left by Eyal, Gilad and Naftali? ple, are often frustrated and angered by and the audience that the United States is a the unfair treatment Israel receives in the tremendous experiment in democracy, a Zvi Drizinn political sphere and in much of the media. monumental advance in human civilization. ——— Even when criticism of Israel may be legiti- America is indeed the greatest bastion of mate, the overall tone of the criticism is not freedom, democracy and opportunity in the How should Israel respond to the legitimate when the critics only take a mi- world. The Declaration of Independence on brutal murder of three schoolboys? cro perspective. They ignore the noble ide- July 4, 1776 changed the course of human A Facebook Note by Stephen Daisley als upon which Israel is based; they do not history dramatically and very positively. focus on the incredible idealism, righteous- Yes, of course, we must continue to ad- "Proportionately," The World says. "With re- ness, and fairness that characterize the dress the flaws in American society, and straint." As if it is the hallmark of a civilised soci- Israeli nation. They only seem to see the American people is blessed with many ety that it views coolly and dispassionately the flaws, and they magnify these flaws very idealistic citizens who devote their lives to slaughter of its young. far out of proportion. improving our society in every way. - Sometimes the micro -perspective stems "They were illegal settlers," say the fellow from ignorance, and sometimes from out- To only see the virtues of individuals, com- travellers with Palestinian rejectionism. "They shouldn’t have been there in the first place." right malice. But without the macro per- munities or nations is to engage in un- Jews are unlawful interlopers in Judea and Sa- spective, the true nature of Israel is totally healthy fantasy. To only focus on the flaws maria, the cradle of Jewish history. The teenag- misunderstood and misrepresented. of individuals, communities or nations is to ers invited their savage demise by failing to ac- engage in destructive misrepresentation of quiesce in the ethnic cleansing of the Jews from On the other hand, it is also an error only truth.
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