Weekly Newlsetter

From the desk of Rabbi Yosef Sanders

A Tale of Two Soles
 
Shalom Shul family, 

In honour of the Torah Reading this week, Parshat 'Eikev' - which the Zohar translates as 'sole', I offer you the following tales:

I. A Tale of the Sole 
[Background to the Tale:
When G-d spoke to Moshe at the Burning Bush, he told him to remove his shoes, as the ground upon which Moshe stood was holy.]

There was a member of the Karaite sect (a group that denied the authority of the Sages) who had close ties with the ruling monarch. He convinced the King to summon a great Rabbi to a debate to determine which of their beliefs represents true Judaism. 

When the Rabbi arrived at the palace at the appointed time, he was unaware of the prevailing custom to remove one's shoes in the entrance hall. As he advanced towards the designated chambers, he thus removed his shoes, and entered the hall carrying them in his hands. 

The King considered this an affront to his honour, and demanded an explanation. The Rabbi responded that he was afraid the Karaite would steal his shoes, and so he needed to guard them close at hand. 

The Karaite was insulted. "I know we have differences of belief, but how can you suggest I'm a simple thief?!" 

The Rabbi replied that when Moshe came back from the Burning Bush, he couldn't find his shoes, because a Karaite had stolen them! 

To which the Karaite sputtered, "What nonsense! The Karaite sect only came into existence hundreds of years later!" 

The King enjoyed the clever way the Rabbi had successfully brought the Karaite to admit who was the "true blue Jew"! 


​​​​II.  The Sole of our Shul
The Zohar teaches that the part of the Neshama, soul, that reposes within Man is called the Sole, as this is the portion of the Soul that is the interface between the Holy Neshama and physical Earth...much like Man's sole is the interface between
​​​his body and Earth. 
​​​​
What is the "Sole" of our Shul? What is its "footprint" - the nature of its interactions with the community it serves? How do we nurture its growth, to be true to its Sole, to be loyal to its intentions from inception? ​​​​​

Here's the 'Tale':
 
The Shul's origins are the brainchild of Rabbi Gabriel Ginzberg, then Dean of Ner Israel Yeshiva,  about thirty years ago. When some families moved a mile north of 'Ner', they planned on accessing Services at the Yeshiva, and arrived there for Services on their first Shabbat. Rabbi Ginzberg, known for his "Flame of Fire" - his burning love of Torah and Mitzvot, called them over after Services, and tasked them to start their own Minyan, so as to provide a source of authentic Yiddishkeit for the local Jewish community. 

(Rabbi Ginzberg z"l was also the originator of the now worldwide SEED Project, where Yeshiva boys on summer vacation "SEED" into a community for two or three weeks, to allow Jews in smaller towns the opportunity to refresh themselves with vibrant Torah Learning.) 

It is said that Yeshivot, with their intense yet lively Torah study, are the heartbeat of the Jewish community, pumping the lifeblood into the Shuls of Klal Yisrael. 

Just as G-d's Voice spoke from the Aron Kodesh, where the Torah Scroll lay, and then flowed out to Moshe Rabbeinu and the rest of Israel. 

As we engage at Shul, supporting and participating in our Shul's Services, classes, and functions, we connect with this life-giving flow, recharging our batteries with the electric current continually coming down the wire. 

It's in our very Constitution! 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Yosef S 

7:04 PM Earliest Candle Lighting 
8:14 PM Candle Lighting

SHABBAT DAY - Saturday   
9:30 AM Shacharit (Morning Service)
9:48 AM Latest Sh'ma
10:15 AM Torah Reading 
11:15 AM Rabbi's Message
12:00 PM Kiddush





HAVDALAH
Shabbat Ends August 8, 9:20 PM

​​​​​​​KIDDUSH THIS SHABBAT...

THIS WEEK IN THE COUNTRY SHUL...

ZOOM CLASS ON MONDAY EVENING THIS WEEK IS CANCELLED. 
(Rabbi Sanders is away.)
 

MITZVAH RIDDLE OF THE WEEK
Q:  What is the "Golden Rule" of Kosherization of utensils? 

Last Week's Question
Q: What is the Kabbalistic formula upon which the world runs? 

A:The Zohar says: "The People of Israel, Torah , and G-d 
 are One. This is the formula that must obtain for a stable world order. 

Our job is thus a three-fold mission. We must strengthen:
1. Our interpersonal relationships - Israel;
2. Our study of Torah - Torah; and 
3. Our relationship with G-d; Tefila. 
​​​​​​

Copyright © 2020 The Richmond Hill Country Shul, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted-in to receive the RHCS Newsletters.

(P) 905-709-7485  (E) office@countryshul.org

Our current location:
The Richmond Hill Country Shul
9225 Bathurst Street
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6C2
Canada

From the desk of Rabbi Yosef Sanders

The Bar Mitzvah of 2033
 
Shalom Shul family, 
 
I would like to share this anonymous message I received via WhatsApp:
 
-------------Begin copy------------------
 
Someone just sent me this:
 
Imagine it's the year 2033. Covid has changed America forever. People have not gathered in large groups for 13 years. All children go to school online. All parties are on Zoom. It has been this way for 13 years. Now imagine that you're the parent of a bar-mitzvah boy. Your son has been preparing for a year to read the Torah to his friends and family over Zoom. The day arrives, you turn on Zoom, and he does his thing. Everyone is clapping and singing, congratulations are offered. Toasts are made. Your son, the bar mitzvah boy, is beaming. You've never seen him so happy. Nothing takes away from his joy on this day. And why shouldn't he jubilant? He has never known anything else. He was raised in a Covid world, where everything is done online. He's been looking forward to his Zoom bar-mitzvah for years. This is how it's done. He has no memory of the world before Covid. But you, his parent, while proud and celebratory, find yourself hiding in the bathroom on this day, more than once, and quietly weeping for what once was. You cry not only because your son cannot have a 'normal' bar-mitzvah (your normal, not his), but also because your son does not even know that he is missing anything. So far removed is he from that reality, that he acts as if everything is as it should be; only you know that something is very wrong. The tragedy of the day is not that your son cannot have a real bar mitzvah. The tragedy is that he doesn't even know what that is. 
 
Guess what? We are that boy. We were raised in the diaspora; we never had the Temple, the sacrifices, prophecy, the feeling of God's presence, never kept all the laws related to the land of Israel, etc. We go about our business as if this is Judaism, as if this is how it's supposed to be, as if this is how it's always been and how it always will be. But, the truth is, we've been in lockdown for 2000 years. For 2000 years our Judaism and our God has had to wear a mask. For 2000 years we have been socially distanced from Hashem. We are that happy bar-mitzvah boy who celebrates as if this is all there is; but, really, we have no idea what good is. We have no idea what God is. 
 
Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit to make a point. We do know more than that boy in the story. Part of the genius of the Jewish people--and a key to our survival--is our memory. We remember what we never even experienced. We even have memories of the future. (That's right! Through learning the Prophets, the future becomes a memory.) We have never become complacent. We have never forgotten that there is so much more than this. How have we done this? Through education, rituals, mitzvot, and through our prayers, which are filled with references to the Temple, the Redemption, and the yearning for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Am Yisrael is amazing. We've managed to live our lives in lockdown, but we never let ourselves accept lockdown. We never settled for lockdown. Every day we prayed for more. Every day we prayed for a return to normal. We rejoice. We make lavish bar-mitzvahs. But, always, in the midst of our joy, we remember Jerusalem. We never let ourselves forget that there is more than this. Only Am Yisrael can do this. Only Am Yisrael can dance in prison and still strive to get out of prison. We will do it, b'ezrat Hashem; because we know that this is not the way it's supposed to be. 
 
May Am Yisrael be freed from its 2000-year lockdown soon in our days! 
 
-----------------End copy-------------------- 
 
We are now on the other side of Tisha b'Av, and are no longer in active mourning over the Temple. Nevertheless, the genius of Jewish observance is that we participate in open expression of pain over our loss in order to keep its memory, and, more importantly, its message, part of our life, pulsating through our veins at all times. 
 
This message calls us to live with an expanded vision. We are asked to broaden our horizons and recognize that there is a dimension of Jewish life unrecognized, one of extra grandeur, Kedusha, holiness and spirit. 
 
Today's Jewry can be proud of ourselves. Although viciously oppressed through the ages, we have stubbornly - and stunningly - refused to unravel and disappear. 
 
We have rebuilt in so many different ways. We now have a proliferation of resources to live full, thriving Jewish lives in almost every desirable corner of the globe. 
 
Our challenge today is to open ourselves to greater and greater awareness of the opportunities of the spirit that have hitherto remained hidden from view. 
 
Shabbat “Nachamu" Shalom - a Shabbat taking comfort in having granted ourselves access to these new vistas of discovery and infinity. A Shabbat that brings with it the Shalom - the serenity - of sparkling new ideas, bringing bright light and clarity into our minds and lives! 
 
Thank you, 
 
Yosef S

7:11 PM Earliest Candle Lighting 
8:23 PM Candle Lighting

SHABBAT DAY - Saturday   
9:30 AM Shacharit (Morning Service)
9:45 AM Latest Sh'ma
10:15 AM Torah Reading 
11:15 AM Rabbi's Message
12:00 PM Kiddush

SHABBAT EVENING

9:30 PM MA'ARIV (Evening Service)

HAVDALAH
Shabbat Ends August 1, 9:30 PM

​​​​​​​KIDDUSH THIS SHABBAT...

THIS WEEK IN THE COUNTRY SHUL...

MAZELTOV! 
 
... to Raz Lahat on his Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat! May this be your successful launch of a lifetime of Torah and Mitzvot! Mazeltov to his proud Ima and Abba, Ayelet and Shai, and Shani and Sapir! May Raz bring you much pride and joy 'until 120'!

MITZVAH RIDDLE OF THE WEEK
Q:  What is the Kabbalistic formula upon which the world runs?

Last Weeks Question
Q: How old is a young man at his Bris, and what are the days that might possibly be the first opportunity for his Bris? 

A: : A baby boy's first opportunity for a Bris can possibly come out to be Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, and Day 12.
 
Day 8:
This is the "gold standard"; a baby boy enters the Covenant of Abraham on his eighth day.
 
Day 9:
Birth: Baby was born in the "grey area" between sunset and sundown
Issue: Day of birth is uncertain
Ruling:  Bris will be on the [8th day, counting from sundown,] 9th day, counting from sunset.
 
Day 10:
Birth: Baby was born in the  "grey area" between sunset and sundown on Friday evening
Issue: Day of birth is uncertain. Day 9 is Shabbat, and a Bris where the day of birth is uncertain cannot be held on Shabbat
Ruling: The Bris will be on the Sunday following the next Shabbat, which is Day 10 [counting from sunset of the day of birth].
 
Day 11:
Birth: Baby was born in the  "grey area" between sunset and sundown on Friday evening
Issue: Day of birth is uncertain. Day 9 is Shabbat, and Day 10 is a Festival. A Bris where the day of birth is uncertain cannot be held on Shabbat or a Festival
Ruling: The Bris will be on the Monday following the next Shabbat, which is Day 11 [counting from sunset of the day of birth].
 
Day 12:
Birth: Baby was born in the  "grey area" between sunset and sundown on Friday evening
Issue: Day of birth is uncertain. Day 9 is Shabbat, Days 10 - 11 are a two-day Festival. A Bris where the day of birth is uncertain cannot be held on Shabbat or a Festival
Ruling: The Bris will be on the Tuesday following the next Shabbat, which is Day 12 [counting from sunset of the day of birth].
 
(Mishna, Shabbat 137a)
 
Dedicated to the speedy recovery of Rachel bat Simcha

Copyright © 2020 The Richmond Hill Country Shul, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted-in to receive the RHCS Newsletters.

(P) 905-709-7485  (E) office@countryshul.org

Our current location:
The Richmond Hill Country Shul
9225 Bathurst Street
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6C2
Canada

Tuesday Evening, July 28, 2020 - Mincha Services 8:30 PM - Lecture Following 
 
TISHA B'AV SCHEDULE
Wednesday, July 29
8:44 PM: FAST BEGINS  • No Food or Drink 
The Laws of Tisha b'Av Start at this Time
9:31 PM: Evening Services, followed by Eicha and Kinnot
• Bring a mat or a pillow to sit on, as we conduct ourselves as mourners until Thursday at mid-day (1:24 PM) 
Thursday, July 30
No Leather Shoes • Bring a mat or a pillow to sit on, as we conduct ourselves as mourners until  mid-day (1:24 PM)
9:00AM: Shacharit: 
          * Talit and Tefillin are not worn
10:00 AM: Kinnot with explanations
 
2:05  PM: Mincha - Afternoon Services
          * Men don Talit and lay Tefillin at this time
2:50 PM: Tisha b'Av Lecture by Rabbi Shmuel Steier:
            "It's Always the Women!"
9:20 PM: Evening Services - Ma'ariv
9:33 PM: Fast ends
(Mezonot and drinks will be available following the fast - Sponsored by Hagit Warshavsky, carrying on the tradition and in memory of her grandmother, Rachel )
 
LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF TISHA B'AV
 
EREV TISHA B'AV - WEDNESDAY EVENING
 
Se'uda haMafsekes - Final Meal before the Fast
 
1. The final meal before the Fast is considered the Se'uda, meal, of Tisha b'Av. Thus, we sit on the floor or on a low stool, as is the custom of mourners. Leather shoes may still be worn. 
 
2. This meal should consist of bread and only one cooked dish. 
 
3. The custom is to eat a full meal earlier, so as to be able to fast well and in good health. Birkas haMazon is recited. We then break for Mincha, and have the final Se'uda, Se'udas haMafsekes, after Mincha.
 
4. The custom is to serve bread, water, and heard-boiled eggs at the Se'uda haMafsekes.
 
5. Traditionally, we prepare ashes, and dip these foods into ashes. Some have the custom to say, "This is the meal of Tisha b'Av".
 
6. Birkas haMazon is recited individually, even if there are three men.
 
7. One may eat or drink afterwards, if there is still time until sunset (this year, 8:44).
 
LAWS OF TISHA B'AV - Begins Wednesday Evening, July 29th, at 8:44 PM
• No Leather Shoes
• Wash only fingers with cold water when washing upon arising and for Tefila
• Greet others softly, and only if they greet you
•  Sit on a low stool, until after mid-day Thursday (1:24PM)
•  Study of Torah - only those areas related to Tisha b'Av , the destruction of the Temple, mourning, or ethical teachings
•  Annointing (using creams or lotions) - only for medical needs
For the elderly or ill individual, a Rabbi should be consulted regarding leniencies in all above areas 
 
May we all have an easy and meaningful fast, and may the words of our Sages be fulfilled: "All who mourn over Jerusalem merit seeing its Salvation!
 
Thank you,
 
Rabbi Yosef Sanders

Copyright © 2020 The Richmond Hill Country Shul, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted-in to receive the RHCS Newsletters.

(P) 905-709-7485  (E) office@countryshul.org

Our current location:
The Richmond Hill Country Shul
9225 Bathurst Street
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6C2
Canada

The Country Shul is hosting a SEED learning program led by the incomparable Rabbi Shmuel Steier! Morning Schedule for today, Tuesday, and Wednesday is 10:30-1:00 PM! Advanced Talmud Lectures 12:15 - 1 PM! Take your learning to the next level!

Copyright © 2020 The Richmond Hill Country Shul, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted-in to receive the RHCS Newsletters.

(P) 905-709-7485  (E) office@countryshul.org

Our current location:
The Richmond Hill Country Shul
9225 Bathurst Street
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6C2
Canada

The Country Shul is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: DERECH HASHEM - THE PATHS OF G-D • Use Link Below
Thursday Evenings @ 8:45 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 839 6265 3006
Password: Shulfamily

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Copyright © 2020 The Richmond Hill Country Shul, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted-in to receive the RHCS Newsletters.

(P) 905-709-7485  (E) office@countryshul.org

Our current location:
The Richmond Hill Country Shul
9225 Bathurst Street
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6C2
Canada