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Dear friends,

This week’s Parsha, Bahalotcha, is very special to me, as it’s my father's bar mitzvah Parsha. Growing up, I always knew this was his Parsha, but the words he insisted on repeating to us were the final words of the Haftorah: “chen, chen la” (grace, grace to it).

The context of the phrase is in two prophesies, one about Joshua the Kohen Gadol, and the second about Zerubavel, the leader of the Jewish People at the time. But how to build a Dvar Torah around this phrase? 

The prophesy of Joshua involves the need for him to remove sin from himself, manifested as his filthy robes, in order to be worthy of achieving redemption. The prophecy of Zerubavel involves a menorah that apparently burns continuously by receiving oil from two olive trees on either side of it, without human intervention.

The message is that, at the time of the redemption, everything will be divinely controlled, and will not require the efforts of man. The final phrase states that mountains will fall before Zerubavel and will be like flat land. This will cause the nation to see Hashem’s intervention everywhere. Grace, grace to this realization! We must put in the effort to achieve change, but at the end of the day, we are where Hashem wants us to be.

• • • 

We have certainly expended a lot of energy in the past couple of months to organize and pull off our annual fundraiser and Gala, and we have, with God’s help, succeeded. Deep thanks to all who contributed both financially and in time and effort to make this endeavor as successful as it was.

I realize that I have not reported recently much about the Shul planning and the workings of the Board. Now that the Gala is behind us, I hope to make up for that over the next few weeks. We have a Board meeting in a month, and I’ll be sending out the agenda prior. In addition, if there are any topics that members want the Board to discuss, please contact me, or any member of the Board.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish Mazal Tov to Orna Sofer on the birth of Gilad to David and Erin. Many of us watched David grow up in the the Shul and we all share in their joy. May he grow in Torah and mitzvot. 

Wishing you all a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat Shalom,

Steven Inker

Dear friends,

BeHar, this week's Parsha, describes the rules and regulations of the
Yovel, or jubilee year. We are instructed to count the years up to 50,
much like we were commanded to count the days in last week's Parsha
where we discussed the Omer. 
 
There is a difference, however, in the texts describing the two. The Torah 
uses the plural when instructing us to count the Omer and the singular 
for the Yovel. Every single Jew is supposed to count the Omer, but it’s the 
Sanhedrin, the supreme court, the leaders of the Jewish people, who are 
supposed to count the Yovel, on behalf of the people. 
 
Rabbi Sacks z”l learns from this that the people are involved with the day 
to day, but the leaders must be concerned with planning long term, for the 
future. Rabbi Sacks goes on to give several examples of the leaders who had 
the concept of the long view.

Ben Zoma states a person is wise who foresees the consequences. Moses
speaks to the Israelites about how they will tell the story of the Exodus to their
children in years to come. Jermiah, Ezra, Nehemia, the Early Sages, the Later 
Sages, and the Rabbis and scholars of the more recent past and present…they 
all planned out the future survival of the Jewish people. How to live in exile, 
the writing of the Mishnah and the Talmud, the study of Torah and emphasis 
on keeping Torah life and learning alive. Their foresight and planning is what
allowed the Jewish people to survive. 

Leaders must plan the survival of the future so that people can live day to day. (For Rabbi Sacks' complete dvar, please click here )

• • • 
 
The need to plan for the future is central to all of us. We plan for our children, 
for our retirement, for all of the institutions we hold dear to be there when we need them.  
 
I hope that B’nai Avraham can count on your support as we celebrate our
33rd year.  I look forward to seeing all of you at the Gala on June
14.  I personally thank all who have already pledged, and urge those
who have not yet done so to support the Shul as much as they can.  All
contributions help to ensure our continued growth and our ability to
offer not only a place to pray but also a place to share a community.

I just left our wonderful Lag B’Omer celebration and thank the Rabbi and Shternie 
for a truly wonderful program both as a celebration of Lag B'Omer, but also 
as an opportunity to reach out to new community members and give a taste 
of what we have to offer.

May we all have a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat Shalom,

Steven Inker