Aishhappenings Where All Jews Learn Together Summer 2020
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AishHappenings Where All Jews Learn Together Summer 2020 Letter from Rabbi Yosef David when the jews stood at the foot of Mount Sinai after they had said to Moses we agree to accept the Torah as God’s wisdom, it says they stood beneath the mountain. The Talmud explains that this means the mountain was held over the entire Jewish people and the Almighty said, “Accept my Torah or there shall be your Burial!” The obvious question was Why? Why was this necessary? They had already agreed to accept the Torah. And furthermore, don’t we have free will? The Aish Destiny Women’s Israel trip in February brought together women from several cities. Isn’t the Torah predicated on the idea Our St. Louis group included Melanie Thiede and Jodi Leise (standing in back) and from the right, that you can’t be responsible unless its Melanie Huet, Fran Hoffman and City Leader, Mimi David. The ladies are shown here dining at the your choice, your decision? Gush Etzion Winery. See more about the trip on page 5. Rabbi Yehuda Loew of Prague, known until adulthood, He says, “Well, now King David in Psalm 119 tells us “If as the Maharal, explains we are not that you have parents, honor them.” not for your (God’s) Torah being my to understand this literally, rather No, the reason He created humans preoccupation, I would have perished God held the mountain over their with parents is because He had a in my suffering.” King David had the heads in the sense that it was clear as mitzvah of honoring parents and, if clarity that Torah was his lifeline and day that their lives depended on the we hatched from an egg like a turtle he couldn’t survive without it. He Torah; they couldn’t survive without it. or an alligator, we wouldn’t have a would have been lost. There was no alternative to accepting relationship with a parent that would At Aish HaTorah, we feel deeply that the Torah. The entire purpose of the enable us to fulfill the Mitzvah of every Jew deserves to be thrown world’s existence was dependent on Kibud Av V’em (Honor your father the lifeline of Torah without which the acceptance of the Torah and the and your mother). The same with a Jew is adrift. There is no one too fulfillment of the Torah is the world’s the pig. He could have created the detached or too far away that the purpose. world without it if He didn’t like it. Torah cannot reach them. I felt this The Zohar says God looked into the He created it so that we could fulfill especially strongly over the last two Torah and created the world. The the Torah mitzvah of “do not eat pig.” months when the study and teaching blueprint of the world is the Torah. What the Zohar is teaching us is that of Torah was and continues to be Not that God looked at the world and the entire universe is built according my daily lifeline. I invite everyone to said, “Gosh! I created the pig.” And to the Torah to enable people to join me in the study of Torah and the then, “Ok Jewish people, don’t eat it.” connect to the divine through earthly inspiration and connection to the Or that after creating human beings existence by fulfilling the Torah. purpose of existence it brings. The that procreate and raise their children world depends on it! Musings from Rabbi Greenwald: On Shavuos When I was growing up, have never heard of Shavuos and why have The rules create the relationship. Just as you I never heard of a holiday I spoken to so many Jews who share my would want your spouse to be loyal, G-d called Shavuos! True, I experience? wants us to be loyal and declares His loyalty was part of a family that to us. Just as you would demand that your didn’t observe Jewish I have a theory. Shavuos doesn’t have a spouse be kind and fair with others so too holidays, but I did have shofar, a seder, or a succah. It doesn’t have G-d requires the same. friends whose families made a Passover an object or a ceremony that makes it easy seder, and I had a friend who kept kosher, to connect with. Just as the game of chess has identical and I remember eating with him in a Succah rules for all players, each person plays their We observe Shavuos by eating holiday own game. It’s the rules of the game that at a kosher restaurant. Of course, I had heard meals together with our families and going of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur! Those produce the creative approaches. After to shul (not this year) to hear and relive all, without the rules, the game would be were days off of school as my neighborhood the awesome and unique experience at was so Jewish even the public schools were meaningless. So it is with our Torah. We Sinai. We stay up late studying and there’s all play by the same rules but each one of basically closed. I knew it was the Jewish a custom to eat cheesecake. new year and day of atonement, whatever us is an individual. It’s the instructions for that means. (Aish gives high holiday Jewish holidays were given to ponder the living that provide the meaning, give us educational services to explain what the depth of their meaning and inculcate their goals to achieve, and provides a genuine, holidays and services mean). ideals into our lives. I have a few ideas that non-superficial path to express the unique I’ve been contemplating that I’d like to qualities of our souls. When I ponder the notion that I had never share. heard of Shavuos, it’s preposterous! After all, I hope you and your families will partake of Shavuos is the culmination of Passover, the In the Shavuos prayer service, we refer to the cheesecake and ponder the significance day when the purpose of leaving Egypt was the holiday as “the time of the giving of our of the revelation at Sinai. fulfilled. It’s seemingly the most important Torah”, and what a gift! The Torah is referred — Shmuel Greenwald day in history when G-d communicated His to as the Almighty’s “beloved vessel” and will to our entire people, that we are to His instruction for living! Every gadget For more information about Shavuos, visit become His emissaries to bring His message comes with instruction but not life? Aish.com to the world; Love your neighbor as yourself, stay away from vulgar idolatries, have a holy The Torah is our book of relationship with For more about our programs, visit relationship with your spouse, and only the Almighty; like every relationship, it Aishstlouis.org honest business dealings, etc. How could I comes with rules, in this case, mitzvos. Aish HaTorah Board of Directors president general board Bob Kaiser members vice president Lynda Baris Adam Herman Marc Chervitz secretary Marc Jacob Joy Marcus Michael Minoff treasurer David Mogil Malcolm Klearman Dr. Leila Redlich Michael Towerman Tziona Zeffren Where All Jews Learn Together. At Aish, all Jews, regardless of background or affiliation, come together to learn and have fun. Judaism is not all or nothing; it’s a journey where every step counts, to be pursued according to one’s own pace and interest. 2 Musical, Educational Service to Bring in Shabbos Friday nights at 6:30 pm (via zoom webinar) June 5, 12, 19, 26 and July 3 Rabbi Shmuel Greenwald will share inspiration and how to’s for Shabbos Rabbi Avi Kula will lead us in songs of inspiration Mimi David will introduce the Shabbos candles Go to https://zoom.us/j/9699246316. To dial in, call 1-312-626-6799. Meeting ID is 9699246316. Mazal Tov to... Charlie & Naomi Ruth Deutsch Howard & Arleen Bly on the bar Rabbi Menachem & Zelda Tendler Yale & Gail Miller on the and Patti Deutsch on the birth of mitzvah of your grandson, Asher on the bar mitzvah of your son, engagement of your grandson in a grandson born to Zach & Rachel Jacob Yaakov Baltimore Deutsch; the birth of a grandson born to Daniel & Gabby Zylberberg; Gavriel & Sarah Beth Matt on the Mark & Jill Abrams on the birth of Jerry & Marcia Esrig on the birth of and on the marriage of your son, birth of a son a granddaughter born to Joey & twin grandchildren (a girl and a boy) Josh to Shoshana Falk Lauren Abrams born to Yossi and Hodaya Esrig in Bruce & Faith Waxman on the birth Baltimore Rabbi Shmuel & Chana Greenwald of a grandson born to Gavriel & Dr. Jenna Abrams on earning your on the engagement of your Sarah Beth Matt Doctorate in Audiology Dr. Alan & Marcia Weiss on the daughter, Shira to Daniel Altshuler birth of twin great-grandsons born of Baltimore; and on the birth of a Rabbi Yonason & Sara Miriam Dave & Jill Mogil on the birth of to Aaron & Aliza Rudman Roth in grandson born to Chai & Miriam Goldson on the birth of a grandson, a granddaughter born to Elana & NY, and to grandparents Ephraim & Greenwald in Israel Asher Yochanan born to Akiva & Frankie Shulkin in Dallas Rachel Rudman Avigayil Schreiber Bob & Joni Kaiser on the birth Elisheva Heit on the engagement of Rabbi Ze’ev & Chani Smason on of a grandson born to Yehuda & Drs. Joan & Sherman Silber on the your daughter, Dina to Yitzy Wenick the bar mitzvah of your grandson, Rebecca Bromberg in Chicago and engagement of your granddaughter of Montreal Kobi in Israel, son of Avrumi & Aliza a granddaughter born to Lee & Smason Rabbi Shmuel & Chanie Wasser on Rabbi Gidon & Pnina Nitsun on the Hannah Mirowitz in Israel the engagement of your daughter, birth of a grandson born to Rabbi Dr.