בס״ד SHAAREI ORAH NEwSlEttER The Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck • 1425 Essex Road, Teaneck NJ, 07666 • 201-833-0800 • www.sephardicteaneck.org

Zmanim & Services Haim Jachter

PARASHAT VAYETZE Rav - The Quintessential Sephardic Rosh

Friday Night A review of contemporary Sephardic Halacha is not complete without including the great Hacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul. Of the great Sephardic Poskim of the second half of the twentieth century, he may be regarded Shir Hashirim 4:10 pm as the quintessential Sephardic . In contrast to his peers, the three great Sephardic Poskim of his time, Rav , Rav and Rav , Hacham Ben Zion did not serve as a Candle Lighting 4:19 pm longtime member of an established Beit Din. Rather, Hacham Ben Zion entered the iconic Sephardic Yeshiva Minha 4:20 pm Porat Yosef (located in ’s ) at the tender age of eleven and never left until the day he left this world at the age of seventy-four. He also, unlike his peers, never served in an official rabbinic capacity. Rather followed by Kabbalat / he died as the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef and this is what characterized him and established his Arvit specific niche in the world of Sephardic Halacha. Not surprisingly, the Sephardic Haredi community has a special affinity for Hacham Ben Zion’s rulings. For example, the Lakewood Yeshiva trained Rav Eli Mansour, Shabbat Morning a Haredi leader in the Syrian Jewish community of Brooklyn, New York very frequently cites and follows the rulings of Hacham Ben Zion. Shaharit 8:30 am Latest Shema 9:13 am A Stricter Approach in Halacha: In general, he adopted a stricter (and one might say less pragmatic) Minha 4:05 pm approach to Halacha than his peers as would typify one who spent his entire life in the Yeshiva. A case in point is the stance Hacham Ben Zion adopts towards the Heteir Mechirah. The Heteir Mechirah refers to the highly Arvit 5:03 pm controversial sale of Israeli farmland to sidestep the restrictions of the Shemittah year. While Rav Ovadia Yosef Havdala 5:13 pm (Teshuvot Yabia Omer 10 Yoreh Deah 37-43) vigorously defends the validity of the Heteir Mechira, Hacham Parent Child Learning 7:00 pm Ben Zion does not accept its validity (introduction to Teshuvot Ohr L’Tzion Hilchot Shevi’it). Although, Rav Ovadia notes that the Sephardic tradition of the past hundred years has been to uphold the validity of the Heteir, Weekly Schedule Hacham Ben Zion was very much influenced by the Hazon Ish, who strongly rejected the Heteir. Another example is Hacham Ben Zion’s firm insistence that males must wear a hat in addition to a Kippah during Birkat Shaharit HaMazon (Teshuvot Ohr L’Tzion 2:13:3). This contrasts with Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav who believe that while it is preferable to do so, strictly speaking, it is not necessary. Sunday 8:00 am A Balanced Approach to Strictness: However, Rav Ben Zion did not always adopt the strict stance

to Halachic issues. In fact, Rav Shmuel Khoshkermann reports that Hacham Ben Zion did not fully subscribe to Mon/Thu 6:20 am Rav Ovadia’s prohibiting married women from wearing a wig/Sheitel (see Teshuvot Yabi’a Omer, 5 Even Tue/Wed/Fri 6:30 am HaEzer number 5).Moreover, whereas a dominant approach in the Ashkenazic Haredi community is that the current generation must adopt a stricter approach than was done in prior generations, Rav Ben Zion does not subscribe to this approach. For example, while it is accepted within Ashkenazi circles to adopt a strict approach Minha/Arvit to folding clothes and Talit on Shabbat, Hacham Ben Zion sanctions following the accepted Sephardic custom to adopt the lenient approach to this matter (Teshuvot Ohr L’Zion 2:24:3-4). Another difference between Rav Ben Sunday 4:15 pm Zion and Ashkenazi Haredim is the relationship to non-observant Jews. For Sephardic Jews, family connections are overwhelmingly important and even Haredi Sephardic Jews will maintain warm connections with non- observant relatives (and vice versa). Thus, it is not surprising for Rav Ben Zion to permit giving an to a non-observant relative at a family Simha (which would be anathema at an Ashkenazic Haredi event).

Rich Disagreements with Rav Ovadia: Rav Ben Zion often disagreed with Rav Ovadia on a wide variety of topics. These disagreements serve as a springboard for rich Halachic analysis. A locus of the disagreements is Teshuvot Yabia Omer 9: Orah Haim 108 where Rav Ovadia devotes no less than 42 pages explaining at length no less than 195 (!) disagreements with Rav Ben Zion on a wide variety of issues. On a personal note, Rav Ben Zion was classmates with both Rav Ovadia and Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and maintained a warm relationship with both of his great peers throughout his lifetime.

Conclusion: Tuvia Macklin, a thoughtful student at Academy of Bergen County remarked to me that Moshe Rabbeinu’s humility convinces him of the authenticity of the Torah. It is fair to compare Rav Ben Zion Abba Sha’ul to Moshe Rabbeinu in this regard. Rav Ben Zion’s humility was stunning. For example, Rav Ben Zion never pushed to advance to the role of Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef and even declined the position when offered to him, while his Rav remained alive. In addition, he declined to publish his Sefarim until he became seriously ill (introduction to the first volume of Teshuvot Ohr L’Zion). Hacham Ben Zion’s humility convinces me of his authenticity as a true Gadol (great Torah leader). His dignified endurance of his long years of illness bears witness as well to his tremendous and authentic devotion to Hashem, Torah and his many students (who have in their own right continue to make a major and ongoing contribution to the Torah world). The Sephardic community

Congregation Shaarei Orah is an inclusive kehillah, all are welcome regardless of edah or level of observance. בס״ד SHAAREI ORAH NEwSlEttER The Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck • 1425 Essex Road, Teaneck NJ, 07666 • 201-833-0800 • www.sephardicteaneck.org rightfully takes enormous pride in Hacham Ben Tzion, who rightfully takes his place astride the great Sephardic Posekim of his time, Rav Ovadia, Rav Eliyahu and Ribi Shalom.

Announcements

 Our heartfelt condolences to our member, Josh Murand on the loss of his uncle, Maurice Murad. Motzei Shabbat through Monday morning, Josh's father will be sitting shiva at 5445 Netherland Ave. Apt F24, Bronx NY 10471. We wish the entire Murad family Nehama and Besorot Tovot.

 Kiddush this Shabbat is sponsored by the Kiddush Fund.

.ראובן ניסים בן משיח ,יצחק בן שמואל בנימין זאב  Seudah Shelishit this shabbat is sponsored by sponsored by Joyce and Carmi Mizrahi in memory of their fathers

 Thank you to the Kiddush Fund for sponsoring Kiddush last week and thank you to Vivian and Ezra Ghazal for sponsoring Seudah Shlisheet last week.

 Our shul is once again participating in the 26th Annual Bergen County Chanukah Toy Drive. We are collecting new and unwrapped toys and gifts for children and young adults going through trying times. Please drop off your donations at the home of Douek Residence, 691 Ogden Ave, from now until Friday, November 23rd. Your donations will help us share the excitement of Chanukah with thousands of children and young adults. This is a great opportunity to involve your children in the of tzedakah!

 This Motzei Shabbat will be the start of our popular Family Learning Program Torah, Great Prizes, Fun, Pizza, Friends All Parents and children are invited 7pm begin learning in Social Hall followed by Dvar Torah given by youth member and then raffle with prizes, pizza & friends time! ***We will start on time. Please arrive promptly! ***Great Opportunity to begin learning and exposing your child(ren) to the joy of Torah. No Age Limits. Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Grandparents, Uncles, and Aunts...all family members and friends qualify. For more information please contact Ehud [email protected]!

 Happy Birthday to Alain David Amar (9 Kislev), Michael Chernick (11 Kislev), Noa Cohen (Nov 17), Sophia Esses (Nov 16), Elimelech Pinchas Fink (12 Kislev), Dvir Levy (11 Kislev), Evyatar Levy (Nov 18).

 Come and participate in our wonderful classes. See details below. Shorashei Orah

 Father-Son Flag Football Game: SHAAREI ORAH GIANTS VS. JETS: Coming up this Thursday morning! Pre-game tailgating party starts at 10AM. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

 Zumba for Girls and Fitness Dancing for Women/Teens are in session! Zumba on Thursdays at 530pm will continue for another 1 session. Fitness dancing on Mondays at 7pm will continue for another 5 sessions. All classes are held in our social hall. Come join the FUN!! Females only, no photography permitted.

Shorashai Orah is most grateful for our women, especially the ones who get involved! See Erica Ohayon or email [email protected] if you are interested.

Shaarei Orah Inaugural Dinner

SAVE THE DATE: Dear Members and Friends, It is our pleasure to announce that the Inaugural Shaarei Orah Dinner will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2019, at 5:00pm at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey. We are very excited to recognize the exceptional dedication and meaningful contributions of our Honorees and Awardees.

Our Dinner is also an opportunity to celebrate the past, present and future of our wonderful and Sephardic community. We hope you will join us in expressing our gratitude to our outstanding Honorees and Awardees and to celebrating Shaarei Orah as the center of the Sephardic community in Teaneck. We look forward to personally greeting you on March 10, 2019! Congregation Shaarei Orah is an inclusive kehillah, all are welcome regardless of edah or level of observance. בס״ד SHAAREI ORAH NEwSlEttER The Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck • 1425 Essex Road, Teaneck NJ, 07666 • 201-833-0800 • www.sephardicteaneck.org A Story – Shark Bait Dvar Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

One warm evening many years ago… The Torah states:

After spending nearly every waking minute with Angel for eight "And Yaakov saw the face of Lavan, and behold, he straight days, I knew that I had to tell her just one thing. So late at night, was not with him as previously" (Gen. 31:2). just before she fell asleep, I whispered it in her ear. She smiled – the kind of smile that makes me smile back –and she said, What lesson can we learn from this verse?

“When I’m seventy-five and I think about my life and what it was We see from here the importance of being able to like to be young, I hope that I can remember this very moment.” notice the emotional state of another person from the expressions on his face. Lavan did not say any unkind words to A few seconds later she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The room Yaakov. Nothing verbal was communicated that would imply was peaceful – almost silent. All I could hear was the soft purr of her that Lavan felt resentment or animosity towards Yaakov. breathing. I stayed awake thinking about the time we’d spent together and Nevertheless, Yaakov was sensitive to the look on Lavan's face. all the choices in our lives that made this moment possible. And at some point, I realized that it didn’t matter what we’d done or where we’d Especially with people you see on a regular basis, take gone. Nor did the future hold any significance. note of how they look when they are pleased or displeased with someone. By gaining the sensitivity to detect these differences All that mattered was the serenity of the moment. you will be able to tell when something you said or did offended him or hurt his feelings. Just being with her and breathing with her. We can also see how careful we must be with our own The moral: We must not allow the clock, the calendar, and facial expressions when talking with people. This is especially external pressures to rule our lives and blind us to the fact that each so when the person you are talking with is very sensitive and his individual moment of our lives is a beautiful mystery and a miracle – feelings are easily hurt. We should not cause any suffering to especially those moments we spend in the presence of a loved one. another person even by a grimace.

Source – Aish.com

Wisdom of The Week by Ezra Ghazal

Self-control is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets.

Weekly Riddle Time to Smile

What kind of room has no doors or windows? I am not lazy, I am on energy saving mode. Answer is located on the back sheet, guess before you look!!!

ALLERGY NOTICE

Please be aware that we have children with serious, life-threatening, nut allergies in our synagogue. Due to concerns for nut allergies, Congregation Shaarei Orah is a “nut aware” facility. Accordingly, all food for both public and private events, including our Shabbat youth groups, may not contain nuts or nut products of any kind (this includes products that "may contain" nuts or that were "processed in a facility" that also processes nuts). While each parent is primarily responsible for the safety of his or her children, we do ask that you do not send your children to Shabbat groups with snacks and candy from home and to refrain from bringing in and distributing any food in the synagogue that contains (or may contain) nuts. Your cooperation in keeping our children safe is appreciated. Also, candy used for any simha, such as bar mitzvah candy bags, must also abide by these guidelines. If you have any questions about what products are safe and what are prohibited, kindly contact the office at [email protected], prior to bringing into the synagogue. If your child has life threatening allergies of any kind, please let the office know ASAP so we can alert the congregants and youth leaders to help minimize the risk of any harm.

Congregation Shaarei Orah is an inclusive kehillah, all are welcome regardless of edah or level of observance. בס״ד SHAAREI ORAH NEwSlEttER The Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck • 1425 Essex Road, Teaneck NJ, 07666 • 201-833-0800 • www.sephardicteaneck.org UPCOMING EVENTS & MORE…

This Shabbat at Keter Torah, 600 Roemer Ave., Teaneck, Rabbanit Shani Taragin will give the drasha at the conclusion of the 9:00am minyan on "Dudaim & Destiny." At 3:05pm, Rabbanit Taragin will speak on "Rachel Immenu: Mother at the Crossroads," and following Mincha at 4:05pm, at Seuda Shlishit, Rabbi Shalom Baum, Rabbanit Malke Bina and Rabbanit Taragin will participate in ".relating to person vs. family,community, society, and individual – נר איש וביתו" a panel discussion on

AMIT invites you to a Friday night Oneg featuring our talented AMIT students this Shabbat, November 16 at 7:30pm at the home of Chana and Dan Shields, 800 Downing Street, Teaneck. For more information, email [email protected].

Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey (JFNNJ) Mitzvah day will be held on Sunday November 18th. You can learn more about specific activities and participate as a family by going to www.jfnnj.org/mitzvahday. Shaarei Orah has volunteered to be a collection site for ‘like new and gently used’ baby and children’s clothes, including coats, hats, gloves and shoes. Items/clothing bags can be dropped off to 605 Maitland Ave, Teaneck until November 16th. Bags can be left on door step or in front of garage. All items will go to Yad Leah, whose mission is to help alleviate poverty in by providing new and lightly used clothing to lower income communities in Israel.

A night of inspiration and Music with Rav Moshe Tzvi Weinberg and Zusha. Join us for an evening of chizuk, music, Torah, and light on Motzei Shabbos Chanukah, December 8th at Congregation Keter Torah, 600 Roemer Ave., Teaneck at 8PM. Open to men and women of all ages. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/motzei-shabbos-chanukah-w-rav-moshe-tzvi- zusha-tickets-51300795059.

PROJECT EZRAH ANNUAL DINNER- Saturday, December 15th, Congregation Ahavath Torah, 240 Broad Avenue, Englewood, NJ, 8pm. Support Your Neighbors And Friends By Attending The Project Ezrah Dinner at www.ezrah.org or 201-569-9047.

CCSA welcomes any family member with a loved one suffering from addiction and substance abuse issues to our local support group, which meets every other Wednesday evening in Teaneck. The group is free of charge and is facilitated by clinicians specializing in addiction. For more information and the location of the meeting, please email [email protected].

*** Answer to the Weekly Riddle – A mushroom.. ***

WEEKLY SHIURIM @ SHAAREI ORAH

 Rabbi Jachter: - Shabbat morning Pre-Sha’harit Humash at 8:30am - Shabbat afternoon shiur on Hilchot Shabbat: 40 min before Minha - Thursday evenings at 7:30pm at 315 Churchill Road on Torah & Science.

 Rabbi Michael Chernlck: Hilchot Yom Tov, Tuesday night, 8:15 pm

Shaarei Orah Contact Information

Thank YOU for joining Tefilot @ Shaarei Orah. Please mail all donations & payments to: Shaarei Orah – 1425 Essex Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666 or online at www.sephardicteaneck.org

Tizku L’mitzvot!!! To sponsor any event, send a donation card, place an ad in the newsletter or to receive our weekly newsletter by email please contact [email protected] or call 201-833-0800. Shorashai Orah, the sisterhood of Shaarei Orah contact: [email protected] RABBI: Rav Haim Jachter - [email protected] President: Joshua Murad - [email protected] Vice President: Shlomo Levy | Treasurer: Isaac Dayan | Secretary: Blanche Silver | Gabbai: Shalom Shushan Billing questions contact: [email protected]

Congregation Shaarei Orah is an inclusive kehillah, all are welcome regardless of edah or level of observance.