MIKVEH ISRAEL SHABBAT NEWS 16 Adar 5772 Shabbat KiTessa March 9-10, 2012 Parashah: In this week's Parasha, G-d instructs Moses to take a Shabbat Services census of the people; each person 20 years old or older, should give a half-shekel offering-the proceeds to go to the service of the Tent of Candlelighting: 5:44 P.M. Friday Night Service: 5:45 P.M. Meeting. G-d appoints Betzalel and Ahaliab in charge of the Shabbat Morning Service: 9:00 A.M. Tabernacle's construction and all the implements. G-d commands once again to keep the Sabbath. G-d then gives Moses two stone tablets Shabbat Afternoon Service: 5:15 P.M. inscribed by the finger of G-d. Shabbat Ends: 6:44 P.M. When Moses does not return when expected from Mount Sinai, the FROM THE RABBI people demand of Aaron to make a god. Aaron tells them to bring golden earrings from their wives and families, which he uses to fashion By Rabbi Albert E. Gabbai a golden calf, and tells the people that the next day will be a festival In the Parashah this week, the fateful event of the Golden Calf for G-d. takes place. When Moses asked for forgiveness for the Israelites, G-d tells Moses to descend because the people have acted corruptly. he mentions the Thirteen Attributes of G-d: He threatens to destroy them and make a new nation from Moses. Moses pleads with G-d to save the people. When Moses comes down "The Lord! the Lord! a G-d compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness the mountain he sees the people worshipping the golden calf. His anger is kindled and he shatters the tablets engraved with the 10 to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and commandments. He destroys the golden calf and confronts Aaron who sin." blames his actions on the people. Moses cries out, "Whoever is for the These Thirteen Attributes represent the traits Lord come to me!" The sons of Levi come and Moses directs them to of G-d when we plead for His mercy. A Midrash tells us that G- kill those who are guilty. Three thousand die. The next day Moses returns to G-d and says, "If You do not forgive d told Moshe, our master, that "...whenever they sin and ask them, blot me out from the book that You have written." G-d sends a forgiveness from Me, they should recite these thirteen traits of mercy." That is why we recite them on the Day of Forgiveness plague because of the golden calf. G‑d forgives, but says that the effect of their sin will be felt for many generations. G‑d proposes to which is Kippur. On that day, we recite them twenty-six times representing the numerical value of the name of G-d. send His angel along with them instead of Him, but Moses insists that LECTURE BY ETHAN ROTENBERG G‑d Himself accompany His people to the promised land. Moses asks Please mark your calendars for Thursday evening, March 27 at G-d to let him see His Presence. G-d agrees but explains that no 7:00P.M. when we will welcome Ethan Rotenberg. Mr. Rotenberg human can see G-d's face and live. G-d instructs Moses to station will speak on "Otiyot Meshunot" (Unusual Letters in Torah Scrolls). himself on a rock, where Moses can see G-d's back. G-d then directs Free admission. Please call the office, 215-922-5446, and let us Moses to carve two stone tablets like the ones that Moses shattered, so know if you will be attending. that G-d might inscribe upon them the words that were on the first tablets, which Moses does. G-d comes down in a cloud and proclaims UNVEILING. Please join the Levy family for the unveiling of the 13 attributes of mercy. Berthold Levy's tombstone on Sunday, March 11th, 11:00 AM, Mt. Moses stays with G-d 40 days and 40 nights, without eating or Sinai Cemetery, Bridge & Cottage Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19124. drinking, inscribing on the tablets the 10 Commandments. As Moses Daylight Savings Time: comes down from the mountain bearing the two tablets, he is unaware Don't forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour 2:00 A.M. Sunday the skin of his face is radiant and the people are afraid to come near. morning. Moses instructs the people concerning all that G-d commanded and then Join us for Mah Jongg covers his face with a veil, which he only took off when speaking with We have started our Mah Jongg classes and if you are interested in G-d and then relaying His words to the people. learning how to play, please contact Fran Levy at 609-923-6765. For This week's Haftarah is from I Kings and will be read by Dr. Jonathan beginners or for those who want to refresh their skills. No fee, just Kaye fun! Mikveh Israel Newsletter 1 From The Parnas Next week begins the Congregation Mikveh Israel Sephardic Film Festival. This is our third annual event. Last year’s event was much better attended than the first year, and this year KKMI KIDS. we are expecting an even bigger turnout. Many thanks to Board Member and Officer Carol Marchand and Executive This week’s contribution is by Dana Wolfson. Director Lea Alvo-Sadiky for putting this together and working Isn’t it so weird that many years ago so hard to make it a success. The last film is March 20th, and st Haman from the country of Paras at the meeting of the Board of Managers on the 21 , we will (Persia), now known as Iran, wanted begin to plan for next year’s event! I encourage everyone to to kill all the Jews and now it is Purim come and support our film festival. There will be lots of guests from around the area, and for many of them it will be and Iran is planning to attack Israel their first time at KKMI, so be sure to reach out and welcome them warmly. The day before Purim we all have to fast for a very good reason. The The last film, on March 20th, is the Impossible Spy. This is a reason is that in the time of the fascinating film based on the true story of Israel’s most Purim story Ester fasted. But she famous and most important spy: Eli Cohen. The story is really didn’t just fast, she was praying to G- about Israel’s struggles with Syria, which up until 1967 used the Golan Heights to fire mortar shells into the Jewish D the whole time without stopping settlements of the Upper Galilee below. Additionally, and just because she really did not want her as important, the Golan, where melting snow produces a huge nation to be killed. run-off which flows into the Sea of Galilee, provides 30% of the water used in Israel. Finally, towards the end of the Six- Mordechai was a very good man he Day War, the Israelis captured the Golan Heights, largely really deserved to ride on the king’s because of the amazing work of Eli Cohen. horse and wear his cape. He saved Cohen, who was born in Alexandria, Egypt to Syrian Jews from the king’s life even though the king Aleppo, made aliyah to Israel in 1955. He married Nadia wasn’t such a good guy. Mordechai Majald in 1959 and worked as an accountant in Tel Aviv. In didn’t even care if the king wasn’t so 1960, Israeli Intelligence approached him to work for them. nice, he was a really good guy and he Throughout the next year, he underwent extensive training in thought that everybody needed to weapons proficiency, topography, map reading, sabotage, keep their life. radio transmissions and cryptography. He then assumed a new identity, Kamal Amin Ta’abet, and perfected his Syrian Arabic. On Purim we are so happy that Haman didn’t kill the Jewish people so we He created a complete fictional biography where he dress up, dance around, and have emigrated from Syria to Argentina and ran a successful textile parties. So this Purim we all deserve business. His great “aspiration” was to return to Syria, his to have fun. beloved homeland. In 1961, he travelled to Buenos Aires to establish his cover, and soon became part of the high society HAPPY PURIM! there, making important Syrian contacts through social networking and lavish dinner parties. In early 1962, he moved to Damascus to assume his new role, that of a wealthy influential businessman returning to his native land. (Continued on p. 4) Mikveh Israel Newsletter 2 Purim Party Pictures Mikveh Israel Newsletter 3 Continued from Page 2 Birthday Wishes Happy Birthday this week to: FROM THE PARNAS continued: Mrs. Bernice Adoni Soon he was able to become very close with high-placed government Mrs. Rhoda Franklin officials who came to wild parties Cohen would throw and would share Mrs. Dana Nechemia military plans and tightly-guarded state secrets freely with him. All of this Refuah Shelemah information Cohen would transmit back to Israeli Intelligence. A good We wish a Refuah Shelamah to: example was in 1964, when Cohen was informed of a Syrian project to Mrs. Sonia Schwartz Dr. George Ehrlich divert water from the Jordan away from Israel. Cohen learned that the Mr.