community links issue 181
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THE COMMUNITY LINKS is published bi-weekly and is distributed free tothe Jewish Community of SouthernCalifornia.
THE COMMUNITY LINKS accepts no re-sponsibility for typographical errorsor reliability of Kashrus of any ad-vertisers. All submissions becomethe property of THE COMMUNITY LINKSand may be shortened and/or ed-ited for length and clarity. Articlespublished in THE COMMUNITY LINKS ex-press the views of the individualwriters and may not necessarilyrepresent the views of THE COMMU-NITY LINKS. No artwork or any part ofthe magazine may be reprinted orotherwise duplicated without thewritten permission of the publisher.
FeaturesMay 20, 2011
A New Journey
How many of you have wanted totry something - maybe in business,maybe a new career, a new personaldirection. Something?
Joe Samson
Out Of TheDepthsThe vile soldiers trained
their guns on him as the com-mander began to speak. "Tell usRabbi," sneered the officer, "do youreally believe that you are the Cho-sen People?"
Rabbi Mordechai Kaminetzky
Explaining LifeFor The SufferingWhy live when enduring so muchpain and suffering? Why have hischildren, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren live with the agony ofseeing him in pain?
Rabbi Eli Hecht
What If...
Imagine if everyone gave just twohours of their time a week to helpa family, child, or adult in need.
Dr. Robert Rome
COMMUNITY LINKS • Volume 8 Issue 181
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There are many problems among ob-servant families in the Los Angeles Jew-ish Community. Many young couplesmarry early and start having childrenwhen they have only limited resources.After having children, young familiesoften spend literally every penny theyhave on preschool, day school, orcheder/yeshiva tuition. It costs majormoney to lead an observant life. Ob-serving holidays like Passover can be soexpensive. Men participating in twicedaily minyanim often cause the father tobe absent at key times in the morningand evening. When there are four, five,six, or more children in a family, thereare often children who get at best onlylimited attention, especially in twoworking-parent families.
There are many resources in Los An-geles. But most services also havemajor costs attached to them. A two-working parent household may have topay to a community agency $90 or moreon a sliding fee basis for a single hourof counseling for just one child. Thecost of a psycho-educational evaluationto deal with the learning needs of achild is beyond the reach of most. Par-ents with children in need often havenowhere to turn.
I try to help. I work as a clinical childpsychologist. Knowing of my workwith children, many families in need andRabbis and other professionals call me
with questions about children with spe-cial needs from families with few re-sources. Sometimes, reviewing reportsfrom a child’s teacher or even briefly ob-serving the child can lead to successfulreferral to a community agency or othersupport. A discussion with a parent canresult in the development of a prelimi-nary behavior plan which could help re-duce the inappropriate behavior of achild at home. A few hours of probono services a week can help dozensof families a year.
I am one person. I can do only somuch as a volunteer in addition to thework required to earn a living. I canhelp as a psychologist. But familiesoften have many needs which go far be-yond clinical child psychology. Thereare so many ways others can help.
Imagine if everyone gave just twohours of their time a week to help afamily, child, or adult in need.
A teacher could tutor a young childor teen with learning needs…
A grandparent could use his or her tal-ents to provide a child from a large fam-ily with quality play time…
A plumber could provide neededservices for a family without resourcesfor a plumber…
By Robert J. Rome, Ph.D.
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What If.. Everyone Gave Two Hours Weeklyfor the Good of the Community?
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A contractor could help a frum family install a newkosher oven in their apartment…
A jeweler could provide a chain or charm for abirthday or mother’s day gift to provide a special day foran overworked mother of four…
An accountant can help a working class family processtheir tax return to get their tax refund…
A woman of means can bake Shabbat challahs for anoverworked mother without.
A man or woman with “handyman” talents and a fewtools can repair a used bicycle for use by a child without abike or toys…
Each person has talents and abilities that can help others.Two hours a week of service would equate to 100 or morehours a year for each volunteer. The thousands of indi-viduals who can help could benefit thousands of familiesin need.
There already is a successful volunteer program in theJewish Community. The Jewish Federation touts theKoreh L.A. program where volunteers from the JewishCommunity help mostly Hispanic students in Los Angelesschools with their school work. With this help, the Latinostudents show increased test scores and reading skills. Thisis a great program, but the major benefit is mostly forthose outside of the Jewish Community.
Why don’t we channel our community resources to helpthose in need within our own community? There is somuch we could accomplish. There are so many needs andso many people we can serve.
Just two hours a week of service by those who are ableto help would do so much. It would not be difficult to do.There would simply have to be a matching of those inneed with those who have an ability to serve. While havinga couple of social workers or others coordinate such a pro-gram would help get the most accomplished, paid workerswould not be required to get the program off the ground.
Is anyone interested? I would love to get this effort un-derway.
Together, we could do so much.
Email me with your interest. Help identify how youcould help. If you need help, identify what help may bebeneficial......Your ideas are welcome.
“Just two hours a week…” That could be a jingle for aprogram which could change our community.
By Robert J. Rome, Ph.D.Robert J. Rome, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in clini-cal practice in Encino, California. He can be reached
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Community Links is happy to welcome, Joe Samson As-sociates - A Full Service Success and Life Coaching Com-pany specializing in working with clients who are unableto find employment, dissatisfied with their current workingsituation or those looking to change their careers.
Dear Reader,
It is a great delight that I have been requested byCommunity Links to become a recurringcontributor for the magazine. Since the inceptionof this widely read publication, Community Linkshas become a very significant source ofinformation serving the greater Los AngelesJewish Community.
This being my first article, I welcome you as anew member of COACH JOE’S SUCCESSLINEUP!
In Pirkei Avos, the Wisdom of the Fathers,(Mishna) the Rabbis’ were quite explicit in theirstatements about acquiring a teacher for yourself.Ahead of their times in the understanding ofhuman development and achievement, notice theynever said provide for yourself a teacher until youreach the age of 20, 30, 40 etc…
Why? Simply because we must pursue knowl-edge to continue to grow and develop. It is verydifficult to move forward without constructiveinput. As you remember from your youth, mostof your work was accomplished because you alsohad accountability both to your teacher and par-ents. Being an adult makes progress even morecomplicated as so many daily and life issues sur-round every decision you make (ie: financial, rela-tionship, time management, etc.)
So many of us don’t realize the importance ofsharing your thoughts with or to bounce yourideas off of someone who can give you neededobjective feedback keeping you grounded to yoursuccess plan.
Questions?
How many of you have wanted to try something- maybe in business, maybe a new career, a newpersonal direction. Something?
Ask yourself how long you have been contem-plating putting your desire into action. Whyhaven’t you moved forward? Fear? Negativity fromthose surrounding you? Finances? Lack of knowl-edge? Just can’t get going alone?
13 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
How about excuses? Does this sound familiar… “I would-but”… “I can’t because”… “If only”.
Can you imagine where we would be as a Jewish Nationtoday if our Matriarchs and Patriarchs had not followedthrough with the Almighty’s instructions. Even Moses hadHashem to speak with!
Ok, there are many issues on YOUR plate! The economy isa disaster! Almost everyone has been effected one way or an-other. Jobs are far and few in between. Business profits aredown.
Due to this and other difficulties many of you are in chaos!Your marriage, relationships, family life, self esteem, and otheraspects of your existence simply put - needs serious adjust-ment.
So what is there to do? Some try the escape scenario, sleep-ing, ignoring the problems, overeating, worrying, on and on…
Unfortunately, these and similar solutions DO NOTWORK! They don’t change anything. I’m sure you have heardthe expression that the definition of craziness is to do thesame thing over and over and expect a different result.
Without question, every scenario in your life begins withG-d! We must ask for Hashem’s assistance and blessings nomatter what we undertake.
But each one of us still has to take the actions necessary to
move forward and create a better and more fulfilled life. Re-member, it is a Mitzvah to be HAPPY.
Yes, the Rabbis’ were and are correct! Everyone needs ateacher, a mentor, a COACH to support you in reaching yourfull potential. My intention with each Community Links issueis to aid you in identifying and accomplishing your professionaland personal goals. To assist you on creating a new journeytowards success.
With Hashem’s help and your Emuna anything can beaccomplished.
Joe Samson
Joe Samson Associates
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Joe Samson Associates will work together with you in identifying yourparticular goals through specific and creative strategies, and assist youin achieving those goals.
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Joe Samson, a Celebrity Life Coach, is a Certified MasterLife Coach and the Founder and CEO of Joe Samson Asso-
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This portion contains the tochacha, the stern ad-monitions and treacherous warnings of whatwill happen to the Jewish people lest they not
observe the Torah. Of course, the prescient predictions ofmisfortune are preceded with a bounty of blessing if wekeep the Torah.
Unfortunately, however, the good comes with the bad, andthe unfavorable penalties are not omitted. They are haunt-ingly clear and undiluted. The Torah details calamity withDivine accuracy. It predicts enemies with foreign tongueswill come from foreign lands to capture us. The Torah fore-warns that these conquerors will not act like most, to leavethe subjugated in their own land. They will, says the Torah,disperse the Jews throughout the entire world. Frightfully,the parsha foreshadows the horrors of the inquisition andHolocaust with descriptions of barbarism, Jews betrayingJews, and mass starvation. The predictions are amazing intheir accuracy; and more depressing, we were the victims.It's a very difficult parsha, but the Torah must apprise usabout the pain and suffering we will eventually endure.
This essay is in no way attempting to answer why those badthings happened to good people. But two thousand years be-fore the events, the Torah predicts events that are unprece-dented in the annals of conquerors and the vanquished. Andit happened. Yet the Torah doesn't end it's tochacha onlywith notes of despair. The strong admonitions close with apromise that, though we will be spread throughout the worldwe will always yearn for our homeland, feel connected to it,and that an enduring spirit and love for Judaism and our Fa-ther in Heaven will never cease. Three thousand years andcountless massacres, crusades, inquisitions later it still works.Pretty powerful.
That would have been a great way to end off quite a de-pressing portion. It would have even been a wonderful wayto end the Sefer VaYikra. But the Torah ends the portionwith quite an anticlimactic group of laws.
Immediately after the tochacha, it discusses the laws oferechin. A person has the right to donate his own value orthe value of any of his possessions to the Temple. He candeclare his home, his animals, even himself as subject toevaluation. Moreover, the Torah assesses a value to any livingsoul. And that value, whether 30 silver shekels or 50 shekels,is to be donated to the Temple. What connection is the lastpart of the parsha to the stern and ominous portion thatpreceeds it?
After the Nazis invaded the small village of Klausenberg,they began to celebrate in their usual sadistic fashion. TheyPARSHAS BECHUKOSAI
OUT OF THEDEPTHS
Rabbi Mordechai Kaminetzkywww.torah.org
25 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
gathered the Jews into a circle in the center oftown, and then paraded their Rebbe, Rabbi Yeku-sial Yehuda Halberstam, into the center. Theybegan taunting and teasing him, pulling his beardand pushing him around. The vile soldiers trainedtheir guns on him as the commander began tospeak. "Tell us Rabbi," sneered the officer, "do youreally believe that you are the Chosen People?"
The soldiers guarding the crowd howled in laugh-ter. But the Rebbe did not. In a serene voice, heanswered loud and clear, "Most certainly." The of-ficer became enraged. He lifted his rifle above hishead and sent it crashing on the head of the Rebbe.The Rebbe fell to the ground. There was rage inthe officer's voice. "Do you still think you are theChosen People?" he yelled.
Once again, the Rebbe nodded his head and said,"yes, we are." The officer became infuriated. Hekicked the rebbe in the shin and repeated. "Youstupid Jew, you lie here on the ground, beaten andhumiliated. What makes you think that you are theChosen People?"
From the depths of humiliation clouded in dust,the Rebbe replied. "As long as we are not the oneskicking and beating innocent people, we can callourselves chosen."
The Kotzker Rebbe explains that the Torah fol-lows the portion of tochacha, the story of Jewskicked and beaten from their homeland, with aneven more powerful message. No matter what hap-pens, we have great value as individuals, and as anation, now and for eternity. Hashem understandsthat even in the depths of the Diaspora each andevery one of us is a great commodity. Lying on theground, beaten and degraded, a Jewish man,woman, or child can declare his value to the Tem-ple, for no matter how low any nation considershim, G-d values his great worth. And he is consid-ered cherished for eternity. Until the great daywhen all the nations of the world will also realizethe precious value of the tiny nation that dwellsamongst them. •
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To find out more: Email [email protected] with yourname, school, grade and shul/rov affiliation, what your son(s)looks forward to in his sleep-away camp experience, and howmuch you CAN afford to pay. We will respond promptly witha coalition-member camp that fits your needs, and is offeringa UCSC reduced tuition fee, and a referral code. You will thenuse the referral code to deal with the camp directly.
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The Community Links is extremely delighted andhonored to welcome a new contributor to our maga-zine, the distinguished Rabbi Eli Hecht, a noted op-ed writer for the Press Telegram/Long Beach andthe Daily Breeze/Torrance. Rabbi Hecht’s com-mentary is syndicated by The New York Times Fea-tures, and his works have appeared in numerousother well known publications including The JewishPress and The Los Angeles Times to name a few.Rabbi Hecht’s works have been translated into manylanguages including Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian andSpanish.
Rabbi Hecht is the author of a wonderful book,which we highly recommend - Crossing the Williams-burg Bridge. Here the reader, through a myriad ofheartwarming stories related by Rabbi Hecht, canobtain a unique glimpse of Chassidic perspectivesinto their way of life through the memories, customsand experiences of Holocaust survivors passing fromgeneration to generation.
Recently, when visiting my ailing fatherthe following happened:
It was 3:30 a.m. My father was sittingin his wheelchair. He was helped into hiswheelchair by the 24 hour nurse. He wasjust too weak to lift himself. “I don’thave any strength” he said.
So it has been for a year that he goesto sleep and after an hour or two wakesup and stays awake. He has a drink oftea and then is helped back to bed. Hesleeps another hour or two and then getsup and asks to be put back into thewheelchair and have tea and biscuits. Hestays up as long as he can and then fallsasleep in the chair.
This is his nightly routine. It’s every
night, week after week, month aftermonth. Nothing changes. Somehow hisnights are extensions of daytime. Hejust can’t sleep a regular night. Dayshave become nights and everything istopsy turvy.
Well, that night I could not sleep so Ijoined my dear father at 3:30 a.m. for teaand a philosophy talk.
Why live when enduring so much painand suffering? Why have his children,grandchildren and great grandchildrenlive with the agony of seeing him inpain? Why go on trying to live, hehinted. It was a sad night indeed. Bothof us were coming to terms and werehaving a father son moment.
I thought for that moment and saidthat from my education I have made thisobservation. “It’s not up to us to dealwith finding a reason to live or to die.It’s up to G-d Almighty.”
Let me qualify with a teaching of Ju-daism.
In the Talmud the Rabbis taught: Fortwo and a half years the school ofShammai and the school of Hillel dif-fered: The former said: “It would havebeen better for man not to have beenborn at all than to have been born.” Thelatter said: “It would have been betterfor man to have been born than not tohave been born.” Their votes were fi-nally taken, and it was decided: It wouldhave been better for man not to havebeen born at all than to have been born.
But since he has been born, let him in-vestigate his past doings. And otherssay: Let him examine what he is doing(Erubin 13b).
A Midrash says that when Moshe, thefirst Jewish prophet, petitioned G-d,“Please reveal to me Your ways of intreating the world,” G-d replied, “Noman can see Me and live!” Before hisdeath G-d wanted to demonstrateMoshe’s greatness to the Heavenly hosts.He therefore called the angel Gavriel andordered him, “Go and bring to MeMoshe’s soul!”
“Master of the Universe, how can Icause the death of a human being whois equal to the Jewish nation?”
Then G-d commanded angel Michaelto carry out the mission.
“I cannot bear to see him die,” repliedMichael. “I used to be his rebbe -teacher.”
The Almighty then turned to theAngel of Death, “Go and bring to MeMoshe’s soul!”
The Angel of Death took hold of hissword ready to carry out his mission.When he found Moshe he was writing ina sefer Torah.
“I came to take your soul” said theAngel of Death.
“And who sent you?” Moshe asked.
“G-d Who created all,” replied theAngel of Death.
EXPLAINING LIFE TO THE SUFFERING
RABBI ELI HECHT
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“I take the souls of all human beings,such is the natural law of the universe.”
“But I am not subject to the laws ofnature,” insisted Moshe. “I am the sonof Amram, the past leader of the Jewsin Egypt. I am holy from birth. I wasable to walk and talk on the day of mybirth like Adam. When I was eightyyears old, G-d had me perform manymiracles in Egypt. I led the exodus of600,000 Jews in broad daylight out ofEgypt. I split the Sea into twelve parts.I turned waters bitter, sweet. I so-journed in heaven and conversed withthe Almighty face-to-face. I broughtthe Torah and the secrets of angelsdown to mankind. I fought against themighty giants Sichon and Og. I madethe sun and moon stand still during bat-tles.
“Who else, among mankind, can doall this? Natural laws that allows you totake man’s soul does not apply to me.”
The Angel of Death, confounded,conceded defeat.
Then a Heavenly Voice proclaimed,“Moshe, the time of your death is athand!”
“Please do not deliver me to theAngel of Death,” Moshe begged G-d.
“Do not be afraid,” the HeavenlyVoice declared. “I Myself will take careof you.
Moshe arose and prepared himselffor death, sanctifying himself like oneof the angels.
G-d descended together with the an-gels and summoned his soul. “Holysoul,” He addressed the soul, “I plannedfor you to remain in Moshe’s body for120 years. Now you must leave’ do notdelay.”
The soul replied, “Master of the Uni-verse, there is no purer body thanMoshe’s, I do not want to leave him.”
“I will store you under My HeavenlyThrone of Glory, with the angels,” G-d
promised. And so Moshe was takenfrom his earthly body.
So it seems that even Moshe, thegreatest prophet that ever lived, dideverything possible to stay alive but wastold by G-d he could not live in hisbody but would live in another worldand see his work continue! Moshewould now meet all his family that pre-ceded him – Amram, his father andeven the sons of Yaakov and the Matri-archs and Patriarchs. He would see allthe future generations grow.
In a Chossid’s case when he outliveshis body he meets his Rebbe-teacher.So what a sweet “out of body experi-ence” it would be to see your loved onesonce again, the previous teachers all theway back to the Baal Shem Tov, masterof a good name, founder of the Chas-sidic movement (early 1700’s). As Jewswe believe in a heaven where souls meetand bask in the glory of G-d.
I said “The main thing is not to leaveearlier than you are meant to! Let G-dmake the choice and then there is noth-ing to worry about. When leaving thebody by the express command of G-dand not by choice of man, you truly liveforever. We need to surrender to des-tiny then all is well.
So with that my father said, “Eli, Ithink you made your case. Enoughsaid. I’ll be around as long as I can.Good night and sweet dreams!”
It has been taught three things, theLord has kept from His people: thehour of death, the Day of Judgmentand the reward of good deeds (MidrashHagadol).
In the meantime we all pray for hishealthRabbi Eli Hecht is vice–president of the Rab-binical Alliance of America and past–presidentof the Rabbinical Council of California. He isthe director of Chabad of South Bay in Lomita,CA which houses a synagogue, day school, nurs-ery school and chaplaincy programs.
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Summary: The story of KosherK-ouponz is a remarkable case study inhow popular concepts developed by thesecular world can be effectively tailoredand deployed to the Orthodox Jewishcommunity.
TEANECK, NEW JERSEY -May 15, 2011 - Groupon'shistoric rise has been docu-mented and analyzed by virtuallyevery financial publication. Injust three years, the daily deal site,which offers deep reductions onfood and merchandise in localcommunities, has grown into amajor force in thee-commerce in-dustry with many financial ex-perts now placing a valuation onthe company of more than $20Billion. To date, no company has
grown at sucha pace in any sec-tor. As such, a rush of entrantshave spurred into the daily dealbusiness trying to emulate thebusiness model.
However, the overwhelmingmajority these daily deal sites donot appeal to the average ortho-dox consumer. Even with occa-sional offers from a koshereatery, the observant consumerwould need to sift through manydays of non-relevant food or in-appropriate entertainment dealsbefore stumbling upon one thatwas attractive.
One year ago, David Siegel ofTeaneck, New Jersey embarkedon an ambitious plan to offer thedaily deal concept to the obser-
vant community. The goal was tofocus the deals on strictly koshervenues, Jewish themed eventsand other merchants in the localorthodox communities. All foodentities featured would need tobear a reliable hashgacha in orderto be featured. "We have had op-portunities to do deals withpopular eateries carrying ques-tionable hashgachas but have de-clined", Siegel remarked. "Ourguiding philosophy is sensitivityto halacha and Torah values."
"While we are a people wholike to eat," stated Siegel,"KosherKouponz also offers dis-counts at many other merchantsincluding hair stylists, entertain-ment venues, Judaica shops, spas,car washes and many more."
After partnering with thefounders of the popularOnlySimchas.com, the site wentlive in December 2010. The de-mand was overwhelming andwithin 3 months the site amassedover 10,000 subscribers and gen-erated more than $200,000 insales.
The first deals were only avail-able in Teaneck and Manhattanbut the company quickly ex-panded to the Five Towns andlater to the Brooklyn market.
Many of the most popularmerchants in the Metro NYJewish market have already beenfeatured; including Carlos &Gabby's, Estihana and an Un-cleMoishy Concert. A recent buy1 get 1 free cheese deal for Natu-ral and Kosher product, resulted
in 1,700 coupons printed. Thelargest deal to date was a Carlos& Gabby's coupon with nearly2,500 purchasing a $16 for $25certificate to the popular restau-rant located in Cedarhurst,Brooklyn,Queens.
While the site is still in its earlystages, KosherKouponz hasambitious expansion plans and isnow the first kosher Group Buy-ing website on both the east andwest coast. The website is pre-pared to launch in Los Angeles inMay 2011, thanks in much part toMike Burgher, Director of WestCoast Operations. Burgherbrings this new way of savingmoney to his friends in L.A.
"Groupon has done a great jobin the secular market." SaysBurgher. "Finally, we have a'Groupon-type' website that of-fers similar tremendous deals toour favorite restaurants andstores, right here in thePico/Robertson 'chood'!"
Many premier food manufac-turers, supermarkets, entertainersand retailers who previously ad-vertised exclusively in print havebeen exploring this new approachto advertising. "It takes time toexplain the group buying con-cept, but once merchants under-stand it they really appreciate itsvalue" explained Siegel. "We areoptimistic that KosherKouponzwill provide a venue for our com-munity to enjoy what the rest ofthe world already has".
LARGEST KOSHER GROUP BUYING WEBSITE EXPANDS
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The Book of Numbers begins with theTorah's command to take a census ofthe Jewish Nation. Each male overtwenty years old from every tribe was tobe counted. However, the tribe of Leviwas singled out to remain uncounted inthe national census. "You shall not count thetribe of Levi, and you shall not take a censusof them from among the Children of Israel"(Numbers 1:49). Levi was indeedcounted, separately and differently. Itschildren were counted from a month oldas opposed to twenty years old. Theywere counted at a separate occasion, andtheir numbers were not included in thenational census. Why did Levi merit suchdistinctive treatment? The Midrash tellsus that Hashem specially designatedthem. They were considered as theKing's special legions. During the sin ofthe Golden Calf, when so many of theirfellow Jews served the idol, the tribe ofLevi was stalwart in its opposition.Therefore Levi was chosen to serve inthe Temple in the place of the first-borns, who were originally designated toperform the service. The Midrashquotes the Al-mighty. "The Levites madethemselves close to me, and I will be close tothem."
The Chidushei HaRim, Rabbi YisraelMeir Alter of Gur, is bothered. "Surely,there were some other Jews who did not
serve the Golden Calf. Why, then, wasLevi singled out to serve in the Mishkan?Why didn't Hashem select anyone whodid not serve the Golden Calf ?"
Adam Parker Glick, President of theJack Parker Corporation, told me the fol-lowing story:
Not too long after NikitaKhrushchev's rise to power in the for-mer Soviet Union in the 1950s, he ad-dressed a large gathering of thecommunist faithful. He began to excori-ate the crimes and misdeeds of his pred-ecessor, Joseph Stalin, and promised anew era of freedom and civility. As hewas decrying the purges, crackdowns,and horrific crimes of his predecessor,all of a sudden a meek voice from theback of the room was heard.
"Mr. Chairman, where were you whenall this was happening? Why didn't yousay something?"
It was apparent that Khrushchev heardthe question. His face turned red as heretorted in a menacing voice, "Who saidthat?"
Silence.
He screamed louder. "Who is the onewho asked that? I want to see himNOW!"
A dead silence filled the room. No onemoved.
Then a sly smile spread overKhrushchev's face. He looked towardthe back of the large room. In slow andcalculated staccato spurts he began toshout, "I know exactly where you are! Iknow exactly where you are standing!"The nervous silence was unbearable, asthe large audience awaited the fate of thepoor man.
"I know where you are standing," re-peated the feared leader of the world'slargest communist country.
"You are standing in the exact spot thatI stood when Stalin used to make hisspeeches!"
The Chidushei HaRim explains thatLevi did much more than passively notserve the idol. When Moshe cried Who-ever is on the side of Hashem join withme!" the only collective group who re-sponded were the Levites.
Many Jews may have refrained fromworshipping the calf, the Gerer Rebbeexplains, but only those who stood upand protested deserve to direct the spir-ituality of the nation. While silence maysometimes remove the cloak of culpa-bility, it will never crown you with thestrength of leadership. •
PARSHAS BAMIDBAR
Rabbi Mordechai Kam
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Rabbi Judah, RabbiJose, and RabbiShimeon were sitting,
and Judah, a son of proselytes, wassitting near them.
Rabbi Judah commenced the dis-cussion by observing, "How fineare the works of this people [theRomans]! They have made streets,they have built bridges, they haveerected baths."
Rabbi Jose was silent.
Rabbi Shimeon bar Yohai re-sponded: "All that they made, theymade for their own benefit. Theybuilt market-places,to set harlots inthem; baths, to reju-venate themselves;bridges, to levy tollsfor them."
Judah the son ofproselytes went andrelated their talk,which reached thegovernment. Theydecreed: "Judah,who exalted us,shall be exalted,Jose, who wassilent, shall be ex-iled to Sepphoris;Shimeon, whocensured, shall be executed."
Rabbi Shimon and his son wentand hid themselves in the study hall,and his wife brought him bread anda mug of water and they dined.When the decree became more se-vere... they went and hid in a cave.
A miracle occurred and a carob-tree and a wellspring of water werecreated for them. They would re-move their garments and sit up totheir necks in sand. The whole daythey studied; when it was time forprayers they robed, covered them-
selves, prayed, and then put off theirgarments again, so that they should notwear out. Thus they dwelt twelve yearsin the cave.
Then Elijah the Prophet came andstood at the entrance to the cave andexclaimed: "Who will inform the sonof Yochai that the emperor is dead andhis decree annulled?" So they emerged.
Seeing a man ploughing and sowing,they exclaimed: "They forsake eternallife and engage in temporal life!" What-ever they cast their eyes upon was im-mediately incinerated.
A heavenly echo came forth and an-nounced: "Have youemerged to destroy Myworld? Return to your cave!"
So they returned and livedthere another twelvemonths, saying, "The pun-ishment of the wicked inGehenna is limited to twelvemonths." A heavenly echothen came forth and said,"Go forth from your cave!"
Now wherever RabbiEleazar harmed [with hislook], Rabbi Shimeonhealed. Said RabbiShimeon to his son, "Myson! You and I are suffi-cient for the world."
On the eve of the Sabbath beforesunset they saw an old man holdingtwo bundles of myrtle and running attwilight. "What are these for?" theyasked him. "They are in honour of theSabbath," he replied. "But one shouldsuffice you?" they asked. "One is for'Remember [the Shabbat day' (Exodus20:8)] and one is for 'Keep [the Shab-bat day' (Deuteronomy 5:12)]."
Said Rabbi Shimeon to his son: "Seehow precious are the mitzvot to peopleof Israel." Thereupon their mindswere put at ease. •
Talmud, Shabbat 33b
A Carob Tree & a Spring
R. Shimon bar Yochai andR. Elazar in the Cave -depiction by chassidic
artist ShoshannahBrombacher
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We offer counseling for:
Domestic Violence/AngerManagement Groups
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Jewish day schools in greater Los Angeles can look forwardto a stronger financial position and greater affordability in yearsto come, thanks to a collaborative effort between LA-basedBJE: Builders of Jewish Education (BJE), the national Partner-ship for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE), the AVI CHAIFoundation and local donors.
Los Angeles is one of three communities nationwide selectedto participate in the first round of the “Generations” program.Baltimore and a third soon to be announced community, werealso selected. A $3.1 million grant from the AVI CHAI Foun-dation will make it possible for up to seven schools in each ofthe three communities to receive coaching, marketing support,training and incentives to launch multi-year endowment andlegacy giving campaigns beginning in Fall 2011. Locally, BJE hassecured pledges from Los Angeles donors, representing a one-to-one community match to the AVI CHAI Foundation grantearmarked for the program in L.A.
Through “Generations,” participating schools will be sup-ported in generating endowment gifts and pledges of $4,000-6,000 per enrolled student in a combination of current andplanned gifts such as bequests and trusts. According to the Na-tional Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), 75% of pri-vate non-boarding schools nationwide (including secular andreligiously affiliated institutions) had endowments of $3,102 perstudent in 2009-10, and 50% had endowments of more than$9,000 per student.
The “Generations” partnership is the latest in a series of BJEinitiatives aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of Jew-ish day school education in Los Angeles. A $5 million challengepledge from the Simha and Sara Lainer Family Foundation, to-gether with 7-figure gift commitments from the Estate of Eli
Wachsberger, the Los Angeles Jewish Federation, and RuthZiegler, and support from numerous other donors launched acommunity-wide effort to raise $100 million in endowmentfunds for day schools. Concurrently, five high schools were se-lected to participate in a $12.7 million grant from the Jim JosephFoundation focused on high school affordability through en-dowment creation. Funding from Janine and Peter Lowy alsoenabled PEJE and BJE to launch the Leadership and Fundrais-ing Academy a program to strengthen fundraising capacity inten schools.
BJE Executive Director Dr. Gil Graff explained, “Many Jew-ish day schools in Los Angeles are fairly young and have fo-cused, by necessity, on building programs and campus facilities.BJE, with support of its day school capacity building initiativefrom the L.A. Jewish Federation, is honored to have been se-lected by numerous foundations and philanthropists to assistJewish schools in securing their financial futures. By fostering acollaborative effort among schools that operate independentlyand serve diverse segments of the Jewish community, the im-pact of these forward-thinking foundations is already evident.The ‘Generations’ program will build on the success of the JimJoseph High School Affordability Initiative and the Leadershipand Fundraising Academy, assisting twelve out of 38 BJE-affil-iated day schools in the region as they actively invest in the fu-ture by building endowment funds.” •
AVI CHAI FOUNDATION GRANT BENEFITS
L.A. JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS
About BJE
BJE: Builders of Jewish Education is dedicated to enhancing quality, ensuring access, and encouraging participation in full-time,
part-time, and informal Jewish education throughout the Jewish communities of greater Los Angeles. Affiliated institutions repre-
sent the broad spectrum of Jewish religious movements and serve children and their families from “Mommy and Me” through
high school. BJE was founded in 1937 as the Bureau of Jewish Education, a department of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation
and became an independent 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization in 1991. For more information, visit www.bjela.org.
About PEJE
The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE) was founded in 1997 with a core mission of helping to fund new day
schools. Today PEJE is exclusively dedicated to catalyzing the Jewish day school field to create an exemplary and affordable ed-
ucation, connecting and empowering Jewish day schools across the denominational and geographic spectrum and fostering fi-
nancial sustainability. For more information, visit www.peje.org.
ABOUT AVI CHAI
The AVI CHAI Foundation was founded in 1984 by Zalman Chaim Bernstein z”l. The foundation’s mission is to strengthen Ju-
daism, Jewish literacy, and Jewish tradition in North America, Israel, and the former Soviet Union; and to sustain, enlarge, and en-
rich Jewish commitment to the State of Israel. In North America, the foundation’s focus is to foster and nurture the energizing
nucleus of the American Jewish community by investing significantly in Jewish day school and overnight summer camps. For
more information, visit www.avichai.org.
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Each Pesach we relive the re-demption. Once again, in anew and relevant way, G-d
takes us out from Egypt with greatwonders and miracles. He frees usfrom the servitude and unrelentingoppression of our surrounding tor-menters and we are empowered withthe ability to break the chains thatbind both body and soul, and maturebeyond our limits and capabilities.
Then, towards the end of the sec-ond seder, we begin an exciting newmitzvah, we count the Omer.Around the world, the count begins:“Today is one day of the Omer.” Sowe continue for forty-eight moredays, until the day before Shavuoswhen we say “Today is forty-ninedays, which is seven weeks of theOmer.”
Finally, forty-nine days after escap-ing Egypt, the Jewish people receivethe Torah. Each day, the Jewish peo-ple wait with breathless anticipation,like a bride-to-be, counting each dayuntil her wedding. So to, the sages ex-plain, we have Sefiras HaOmer,forty-nine days which we count fromPesach until Shavuos, the day whichwe receive the Torah, and the Jewishpeople are wed to Hashem.
However, something deeper mustbe taking place during these forty-nine days. For a bride to be, who ex-citedly counts the days to herwedding, counts down until the spe-cial day, not up. Yet the Jewish peo-ple, during Sefiras HaOmer, countupwards. Furthermore, we specifi-cally count each day as relative to theOmer offering, a sacrifice broughtfrom the first cut of the barley cropon the second day of Pesach, and wedon’t even mention Shavuos. Also,what is the significance of countingboth days and weeks? Finally, if theverse commands: “You shall countuntil the day after the seventh week,the fiftieth day…” (Vayikra 23:16),
why do we only count 49 days?
The mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer,isn’t just a simple accounting of days,it has profound meaning and rele-vance to us. These seven weeks start-ing on the second day of Pesach andculminating in Shavuos are an auspi-cious time for extraordinary spiritualgrowth. G-d sets our souls free onPesach, and draws us close to Him.From there, we immediately begin aforty-nine day trek of ascending spir-ituality, to Mt. Sinai, preparing our-selves for the moment that G-dshares and intimately transmits to usHis ultimate gift, the Torah.
Exile in Egypt isn’t something thathappened long ago, in a country faraway; we can all relate to it. The soul,before it descends to Earth is in astate of great divine revelation, as apart of G-dliness, dwelling within itssource. In Heaven she basks inHashem’s divine light, in a state be-yond physical limits and boundaries,without the pains and struggles of abody or any surrounding evil.Hashem, however, wishes that thephysical realm be transformed into aholy space, a place as spiritually lumi-nous as the heavens above. To ac-complish this, souls are sent into thephysical world with a mission: to ex-pose the hidden G-dliness which isthe source of all things.
The Zohar tells us that the 248 pos-itive mitzvos are the 248 limbs of theKing. When our hands and feet areengaged in a Mitzvah, we are directlyexpressing G-d’s will, just as the soulexpresses itself through the body.Through the performance of Torahand Mitzvos, we implement G-d’swill within the physical world, andthis is our purpose.
When a neshama is sent on hermission, she understands and appre-ciates the endless joy her mitzvos willbring to Hashem, and she enters the
world with passion and excitement,ready to zealously fulfill Hashem’severy whim.
Suddenly the soul finds herselfwithin a body, a place darker andmore distant then she could everhave imagined. Access to spiritualityis practically cut off, and the hungrywolves of physical desires and simpleearthly indulgence surround her. Sheis forcibly partnered in the body witha strong animal soul that passions forgenerally deplorable things, and hasto fight for every inch. She feelsweakened and practically powerless.In Hebrew, Egypt is called Mitzrayim,from the root Metzar, which trans-lates as constriction. This state ofconstriction and helplessness of thesoul is a state of exile in Egypt.
Similarly, most of the time, in ourmind – the seat of the neshama, weknow and desire the right thing. Theproblem is that our heart – the seatof the animal soul – pulls us away.The passion and strength of theheart is immense, and has a powerfulsway on our actions. Why is theresuch a disconnect? Why can’t themind, which knows perfectly wellwhat it wants, influence and galva-nize the heart to the right action?
The constriction of Mitzrayim repre-sented by the neck, and the head ofMitzrayim is Pharaoh, which in He-brew can be rearranged to HaOref. Itis Pharoah himself that subjugatesus, and creates a disconnect betweenthe mind and the heart. He coaxes usinto servitude. Deep down, the Jewsin Egypt had faith, but in their dailylives, they were oppressed andsteeped in the foolishness of Egypt-ian culture and theology. They de-scended to the 49th gate of impurity.
It seems impossible that a soulwhich once soared in the loftiestheights of the spiritual realms wouldbe enticed by anything in the mun-
dane world, yet Pharoah was able toorchestrate it. Left to its own devices,the animal soul will drag the heartand the body into all kinds of inaneactivities, and clog the passagewaysof the Neshama, locking it awaydeep into the subconscious, impris-oned and unable to express its heart-break and longing for the divine.
Each year, on Pesach, because ofHis infinite love towards the Jewishpeople, G-d appears to redeem usfrom Egypt; He jumpstarts the soulof each and every Jew. He pulls theprincess out from her imprisonment,and frees her from the clutches ofthe animal soul. Our holy passionsare ignited and our G-dly awarenessis rekindled. This is the awesome rev-elation and inspiration we derivefrom the face-to-face encounter withHashem, through the Matzah on thefirst nights of Pesach. Through this,the soul is impassioned and re-ener-gized.
The problem is that it doesn’t lastlong, the animal soul doesn’t care. Asexcited as the neshama becomes dur-ing Pesach, the animal soul resents it,and immediately stars scheming newstrategies to recover its lost territory.The animal soul can witness thegreatest miracles and remain unim-pressed, because it doesn’t under-stand holiness and hungers only forthe physical. It’s excited to turnaround and run right back to Egypt.G-d made us this way so that we candevelop past being simple recipientsof His goodness, feeding off of Hisgifts. He wants a connection to Himto come from our essential desireand sincere efforts; hence, the strug-gle.
On Pesach, therefore, after a yearof challenge and struggle, our soulsare once again inspired, and ourminds can see clearly what needs tobe done. But we must take this op-portunity to overcome the desires
and enticements of the heart beforeit’s too late. We must rehabilitate theanimal soul - it too should feel in-spired, and intensely desire only thespiritual. It’s possible, but it takes alot of work.
We ran blindly out of Egypt intoHashem’s care in the desert, withoutfood or supplies, because of our lovefor Him. This explains why the Jewsfelt safe in the desert, but why did theJewish people run? Why didn’t theywait for G-d to whisk them away?G-d freed their souls and they wereablaze! Pharaoh is very cunning, andthey were terrified of him. They did-n’t want to leave him the opportunityto entice their hearts once again, sothey hurried their exit.
In the desert, the Jews were free ofEgypt’s influences and could spendtheir time detoxifying their soulswithout any distractions. This mightbe compared to an alcoholic that de-cides to change for the better. Thebest place to rehabilitate is far awayfrom any bottles of liquor, beer orwine. Perhaps, after several monthsor years of intense work, it might besafe for him to be near a bottle ortwo. Otherwise, relapse lurks for himaround every corner.
This is the work of the Omer, thebarley offering brought on the sec-ond day of Pesach. After G-d stirs upand inspires our souls, we must im-mediately begin the work of rehabil-itation. The Torah considers barley tobe the food of the animal, and wheatthe food of man. By bringing thefirst cuts of our barley crop as an of-fering to Hashem, we dedicate andbind our animalistic passions to Hisinterests. The fire of the altar isequated to the fire of the neshama;we bind together the neshama withthe animal soul, and they are joinedtogether in the service of Hashem.
This is the starting point. Every as-
pect of the animal soul must be pu-rified, but primarily, the seven coreemotions of the soul. When onewalks the street, and the mind wan-ders, it pursues the subjects that weare emotionally attached to. For thisreason, the rehabilitation of the emo-tions is critical to the rehabilitationof man.
The Kabbalists and Chasidic Mas-ters teach extensively about the sevenprimary emotions, which exist withinevery human being, and intertwinewith one another to form the humanpsyche. So, for the next forty-ninedays, seven weeks of seven days, wecount upwards, and mention eachemotion as we refine it; we work ourway out of forty-nine levels of impu-rity to forty-nine levels of holiness.We remove the distortions and refinethe emotions to their truest expres-sions.
The seven emotional attributes are:
Chesed - Loving-kindness (The FirstWeek of Sefiras HaOmer)
Love is our most primary emotionand the start of every human experi-ence. Love enables us to give and re-ceive; in love, it motivates us andallows us to surpass our own limita-tions.
Gevurah -- Justice / Discipline /Severity (The Second Week of SefirasHaOmer)
Unrestricted love is not productive.By creating and enforcing the properboundaries, we empower our livesand our efforts through concentra-tion and direction. Gevurah also de-mands that we retain the properreverence and standards.
Tiferet - Truth / Harmony / Beauty/ Compassion (The Third Week ofSefiras HaOmer)
Simple progress, and certainly, ulti-mate truth is beyond simple love, ordiscipline. To achieve it requires bal-
ance between them, and Tiferetbalances and energizes Chesedand Gevurah into an appropriateand powerful combination.
Netzach - Victory / Endurance /Determination (The Fourth Weekof Sefiras HaOmer)
Uplholding truth and maintain-ing harmony and beauty requiresvaliant effort. Dedication, takingresponsibility, remaining steadfastand dependable provide us withsafety and security.
Hod - Splendor / Humility / De-votion (The Fifth Week of SefirasHaOmer)
Just as Chesed (love) is concen-trated by Gevurah (discipline),Netzach (determination) is tem-pered by Hod (humility). Givingway is not failing. True devotionand sensitivity require modestyand a realization that our talentsand our strengths are here forhigher purpose, and our ownneeds are secondary. Conse-quently, our selfless dedication tothe higher truth allows us to bebetter and empowers us withstrengths and capabilities beyondour own estimation.
Yesod - Foundation / Bonding/ Connection (The Sixth Week ofSefiras HaOmer)
With Yesod, the emotions unite.The prior emotions relate and in-teract between one and another inan effort to find the proper bal-ance to move forward. However,for individual efforts to actualizeinto something truly new and pro-ductive, they must fuse together toform a single, solid foundation.This total devotion connects giverand receiver in a constructive andeverlasting bond. Parents and chil-dren, married couples, siblings,friends and partners thrive and ac-
tualize their relationships throughtheir deep connection.
Malchut - Kingship / Majesty /Dignity (The Seventh Week of Se-firas HaOmer)
Malchut has nothing of its own,it simply reflects a state of being.Once the emotions have fusedinto a foundation, Malchut re-cieves the result and articulates therelationship. Malchut expressesour humanity, and enables us tosee the fruits of our labors; toflourish.
All of these emotions exist bothin the G-dly soul and in the animalsoul. For example, the G-dly soulexhibits Chesed/Love towards G-d,Torah and Mitzvos. Her Gevu-rah/Discipline is against thosethings that keep it away from itsG-dly pursuits, and so on. The an-imal soul, on the other hand, lovesphysical and earthy pleasures. Itsseverity is awakened against thingsthat stand between it and its de-sires, and so on.
Furthermore, each of the sevenemotions interact with the other,totaling forty-nine basic levels. Forexample, when a mother smothersher child with kisses, she is ex-pressing love within her love, or“the Chesed of Chesed.” The nextday, if that same child misbehavesand she disciplines the child, eventhough she is angry she still doesit out of love. This is the disciplineof love, or “Gevurah of Chesed,”and so it goes for all seven emo-tions.
The goal of Sefiras HaOmer is tobring the animal soul’s emotionsin line with the neshama’s emo-tions. Each day during Sefira, wecount both days and weeks, signi-fying the changes we are workingtowards, in both the general emo-
tion (the week) and itsbranches/details (that day).
This is meticulous work. Wedon’t just mumble a few numbersevery evening, and go to bed. Wework to wean the animal off itsunholy cravings and to teach theanimal soul to see and understandthe truth – that G-dliness is good,and what it’s been desiring allalong. By actively working to im-prove our behavior: by not givingin to our every desire, and by im-mersing ourselves in holinessthrough Torah study, prayer andmeditation, we can rectify the an-imal within, distance ourselvesfrom Egypt and prepare ourselvesto receive the Torah.
Still, despite the great effort andremarkable growth we work forand achieve during SefirasHaOmer, all beings have a limit.We only count to the 49th level,because we cannot take ourselvesbeyond that place, only G-dcan reside at the highest, 50thlevel.
By doing our best, and pushingourselves to our limits, we areworthy to stand at Mt. Sinai andlook up at Him, impossible toreach. Then, the impossible hap-pens. On Shavuos, G-d comesdown and gives us a kiss; Heshares with us the G-dly essenceof the Torah, and infuses oursouls with a revelation of the ulti-mate truth, which we can imple-ment within the world, andeternally connect with Him at aneven greater level.
May we all merit literally seeingand experiencing this revelationtogether this year in Yerushalayim!
Rabbi Reuvain Wolfwww.maayon.com
49 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
50 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
An outside observer of human life would probably describeit something like this: They wake up in the morning, spend 16to 18 hours using objects to manipulate other objects, and goto sleep.
On the whole, this is how we conduct our lives. When some-thing faces us, we grab hold of something else -- a telephone,a wallet, a gun -- with which to deal with the situation.
But there comes a point at which the phone is just a pieceof plastic, there's nothing to shoot at, and no matter howmuch money is expended, it doesn't get any better. The exter-nal resources on which we've come to rely are suddenly inef-fectual, and the only place to turn is inward, to ourselves.
Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer Count that connectsPassover to Shavuot, is the birthday of Jewish mysticism.
For many generations, the inner soul of Torah -- also knownas the "Kabbalah" -- was transmitted from teacher to disciplein the form of cryptic maxims, in private, and only to a very
few individuals in each generation. These teachings chart thesublime expanses of the divine reality, the processes of cre-ation, G-d's relationship to our existence and the inner recessesof the human soul. The tremendous power they contain, andtheir extreme subtlety, makes them extremely vulnerable tocorruption. Thus, for many years it was forbidden to revealthese teachings.
The first to disseminate the teachings of Kabbalah to awider group of disciples was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai,who lived in the 2nd century CE. The most significant rev-elation came about on the day of Rabbi Shimon's passing,on which he expounded for many hours on the most inti-mate secrets of the divine wisdom. That day was LagBaOmer.
Centuries were to pass before the great Kabbalist RabbiIsaac Luria (the "Holy Ari", 1534-1572) would proclaim,"In these times, we are allowed and duty-bound to revealthis wisdom," and Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760)and his disciples were to make them accessible to all viathe teachings of Chassidism. But Lag BaOmer remains theday on which "Jewish mysticism" made its first emergencefrom the womb of secrecy and exclusivity. Rabbi Shimonbar Yochai instructed his disciples to celebrate this day asa joyous festival -- and so it is marked in every Jewish com-munity to this day.
One of the ways in which we celebrate Lag BaOmer is
by taking children out to parks and fields to play with bowsand arrows. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the bow-and-arrow symbolizes the power of inwardness -- the powerunleashed by the mystic soul of Torah.
The first weapons devised by man were designed for hand-to-hand combat. But a person's enemy or prey is not alwaysan arm's-length away, or even within sight. Soon the warriorand hunter felt the need for a weapon that could reach a targeta great distance away, or which lies invisible and protected be-hind barriers of every sort.
With a bow and arrow, the tension in an arched bough ofwood is exploited to propel a missile for great distances andslash through barriers. The inventor of this device first had tograsp the paradox that the deadly arrow must be pulled backtoward one's own heart in order to strike the heart of the op-ponent, and that the more it is drawn toward oneself, the moredistant an adversary it can reach.
The external body of Torah is our tool for meeting the ob-vious challenges of life. Do not kill or steal, it instructs us;feed the hungry, hallow your relationships with the sanctity ofmarriage, rest on Shabbat, eat only kosher foods -- for thusyou will preserve the order that G-d instituted in His worldand develop it in accordance with the purpose towards whichHe created it.
But not everything is as up front as the explicit do's anddon'ts of the Torah. Beyond them lie the ambiguities of intentand motive, the subtleties of love and awe, the interplay of
BOW AND ARROW
By Yanki Tauber
51 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
ego and commitment; the taint of evil that shadows themost holy of endeavors, and the sparks of goodness that lieburied within the darkest reaches of creation. How are weto approach these challenges, so distant from our sensoryreach and so elusive of our mind's comprehension?
This is where the mystical dimension of Torah comes in.
It guides us in a retreat to our own essence, to the very coreof our soul. It illuminates the selfless heart of the self, thespark of G-dliness within us that is one with its Creator andHis creation. From there we unleash the power to deal withthe most distant and obscure adversary; from there we cat-apult our redeeming influence to the most forsaken cornersof G-d's world. •
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• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs• 1/4 cup finely ground pecans• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened• 1 1/2 cups sugar• 2 tablespoons cornstarch• 1 teaspoon vanilla• 2 eggs• 2 egg yolks• 1/4 cup heavy cream• 1 14 ounce can pumpkin pulp• Sugared pumpkin seeds• 1/4 cup caramel sauce• Powdered sugar
Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, get started on yourcrust. In a bowl combine the cracker crumbs, nuts, and cin-namon. Then stir in the butter. Press the crust mixture intothe bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inchspringform pan. Now, make the filling. In a mixer bowl com-bine cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Beat untilfluffy. Add eggs and yolks all at once, beating on low speedjust until combined. Fold in the cream and the pumpkin pulp.It will appear broken but will bake beautifully. Pour into thecrust lined pan. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. Bakefor 35 to 40 minutes or until the center appears nearly setwhen shaken. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen sides of the pan,and cool for 30 minutes. Chill for 4 hours before serving.Decorate with sugared pumpkin seeds and serve with caramelsauce.
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(310)600-8580One man band to a 40 Piece Orchestra. We deliver crisp, authentic, and energetic music! We do Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Banquets, Concerts, Acapella, Yeshivish, Sfaradi/Mizrachi, and Contemporary. Once you hear the difference in our music, you will be hooked! Led by Aharon Assaraf
www.Samchenu.com
Call today and ask how
we can enhanceyour simcha!
FOR RENTPrivate guesthousewith its own privategated entrance, cen-trally located in thePico/Robertson area.Includes: Full kitchen,bathroom, furniture,air conditioning, heat-ing, and priv ate patio.Looking for femaleonly with no pets!Utilities Included(Gas, Water &
Power)!!!
Please call Josh at:
310-592-3094
65 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
CLASSIFIEDS
ROOMATE WANTED
ROOMATE WANTED
FIDELITY PAYMENTS
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
LOWEST MORTGAGE RATES
REAL ESTATE
Advertising Deadline:May 27, 2011
Circulation Deadline:June 3, 2011
Please call 323.965.1544
or email us [email protected]
Facebookwww.facebook.com/communitylinksla
Twitterhttp://twitter.com/#!/CommunityLinks
One bedroom in the PicoRobertson area. Hard-wood floors, balcony,A/C, Heat, large bed-room, top floor apart-ment.
Call Daniel @(310) 925 - 9972
#1404
BABYSITTER AVAILABLE
Orthodox woman availableto watch your children fulltime or part-time hours, atyour location. Excellent ref-erences. 323-651-9389#1750
LOWEST
MORTGAGE
RATES
15 years fixed conf.3.875% APR
30 years fixed conf.4.250% APR
www.adiscountmortgage.comN.R.C.C.
www.ORNA.com
888-360-3337
#1737
Marketing Sales Associates Needed -
PublicationsSeeking English, Farsi andHebrew speaking experi-enced marketing sales asso-ciates for growing Jewishpublications in the SanFernando Valley. Knowledgeof Jewish customs required.Commission based. Pleasesend resume to:[email protected]
CELL PHONE
RENTAL
1-888-456-8664
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BABY NURSE
Spacious guesthousefor one Shomer Shab-bos individual. Conve-niently located in theLa Brea / Beverly area.Move-in -ready fur-nished and fully reno-vated with modernstylish decor and ameni-ties. Private upstairsstudio with a new bath-room, upgrades includetwo tone paint and woodflooring. The wraparound balcony is brightand new featuring birdsong and over lookingthe pool and yard.Reasonably priced.Washer / Dryer optionavailable.
(323) 595-1616
Single young religious guylooking for male roomateto share an apartment within the Pico/Robertsonarea. For info please callYosef 714-767-5556
66 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
Afshan Restaurant RCC
106 W. 9th St. LA, (213) 622-1010
Bocca Steakhouse RCC
16610 Ventura. Encino, 91436(818) 905-5855
Café Del Mar Meat Kehila
12526 Burbank Blvd. N.H. 91607(818) 487-8171
Chic N Chow Kehila
9301 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 274-5595
Chinese and Kabob Kehila
9180 Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 274-4007
Cohen’s Restaurant RCC
316 E Pico Blvd # F LA, CA 90015(213) 742-8888
Elat Burger Ben Zaken
9340 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 278-4692
Elite Cuisine RCC
7119 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90036(323) 930-1303
Shawarma Express Kehila
5577 Reseda Blvd. Tarzana, 9135(818) 342-2226
Glatt Hut RCC
9303 W. Pico Blvd. 90035(310) 246-1900
Golan RCC
13075 Victory Blvd. N. H, 91606(818) 763-5344
Got Kosher? RCC
8914 W. Pico Blvd. 90035(310) 858-1920
Habayit Bukspan
11921 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90064(310) 479-5444
Haifa Ben Zaken
8717 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 888-7700
Jeffs Gourmet Kehila
8930 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 858-8590
La Gondola Kehila
9025 Wilshire Blvd. BH, 90211(310) 247-1239
La Glatt RCC
446 Fairfax Ave. LA, 90036(323) 658-7730
La Seine
14 N. La Cienega
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
310 358 0922
Mashu Mashu RCC
12510 Burbank Blvd. 91607(818)752-ASIA (2742)
Metro Glatt RCC
8975 W. Pico Blvd. 90035 (310) 275-4420
Nagilla Meating Place Kehila
9407 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 788-0119
Orange Delight Kehila
13628 Ventura Blvd. SO, 91423(818) 788-9896
Pats Kehila
9233 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 205-8705
Pico Kosher Deli RCC
8826 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 273-9381
Pita Way RCC
8532 Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 652-5236
Sassis Kehila
15622 Ventura, Encino, 91436(818) 986-5345
Schwartz Bakery and Deli RCC
433 N. Fairfax Avenue, LA, 90036(323)653-1941
Shanghai Kehila
9401 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 553-0998
Shilohs Kehila
8939 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 858-1652
Subway Kehila
8948 W Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 274-1222
Schnitzle Kehila
9216 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 786-8282
Temptation Grill Kehila
17547 Ventura B. Encino, 91316(818) 995-4700
The Meating Place KCA
30313 Canwood St. AH, 91301(818) 706-1255
Tierra Sur at Herzog Winery ou
3201 Camino DelSol Oxnard(818) 752-6866
26 By Shilo’s Kehila
8657 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310)246-1326
Beverly Cafe Elite RCC
7113 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90035(323) 931-3563
Bibis Warmstone Kehila
8928 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 246-1788
Bramis Pizza RCC
17736 ShermanWay, Reseda 91326
(818) 342-0611
Café Del Mar Dairy Kehila
12526 Burbank Blvd. N.H. 91607(818) 487-8171
Circa RCC
8622 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles(310) 854-0592
Delice Kehila
8583 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 289-6556
Fish Grill Kehila
7226 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90036(323) 937-7162
12013 Wilshire Blvd. LA, 90025(310) 479-1800
9618 W. Pico Blvd. 90035(310) 860-1182
22935 Pacific Coast Highway(310) 456-8585
Jerusalem Pizza Kehila
17942 Ventura Blvd. Encino, CA 91316
(818) 758-9595
La Brea Bagel Kehilla
7308 Beverly Blvd. LA, 90036(323) 965-1287
La Pizza Rabbi Furst
12515 Burbank Blvd. N.H, 91607(818) 760-8198
Milk N Honey RCC
8837 West Pico Blvd LA, 90035(310) 858-8850
Milky Way Kehila
9108 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 859-0004
Nagilla Pizza Kehila
9411 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 788-0111
Nana Cafe RCC
1509 S Robertson Blvd. (310) 407-0404
Pacific Pizza RCC - Cholov Yisroel & Pas Yisroel
12460 Oxnard St. N. Hollywood(818) 760-0087
Pico Cafe Kehila
8944 W Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310)385-9592
Pizza Maven Kehila
140 North La Brea Blvd. 90036(323) 857-0353
Pizza Nosh Rabbi Ami Markel
30313 Canwood St. A.H. 91301(818) 991-3000
Pizza Station Kehila
8965 W. Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 276-8708
Pizza World Kehila
365 Fairfax Ave. LA, 90036(323) 653-2896
Sassis Sushi Kehila
16550 Ventura, Encino, 91436(818) 783-2727
Shalom Pizza RCC
8715 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035(310) 271-2255
Unique Cafe Rabbi Aron Simkin
18381 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana(818) 757-3100
Fish In The Village RCC
12450 Burbank Blvd. N.H, 91607(818) 769-0085
Le Sushi RCC
12524 Burbank Blvd N.H. 91607 (818) 763-6600
SushiKo RCC
9340 West Pico Blvd. LA, 90035 (310) 274-3474
DINING GUIDEMEAT
DAIRY
PAREVE
Dining Guide Listing Please Call 323-965-1544
67 M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 • 323-965-1544 • [email protected]
BANFF, ALBERTA JULY 7 - 17, 2011
VAIL, COLORADO AUGUST 11-25, 2011
a spectacular getaway in thecolorado rockies
1-888-567-0100 or 7718-778-4241 WWW.KMRTOURS.COMPlease visit our website for a complete list of services, activities, amenities & much more.SUMMER 2011 WITH THE WERNER BROTHERS
LEAVE IT UP TO OUR CONCIERGE TEAM TO SET YOUR TRIPS TO THE SECRETS OF THE ROCKIES
OUR GUESTS COME FOR THESPECTACULAR ROCKIES, AND RETURN
FOR OUR SPECTACULAR PROGRAM
creating memories that last a life time
a summer vacation in thecanadian rockies
both programs include:three gourmet meals daily | Food Directed by Michael Schick Featuring Cantor Yitzchok Meir Helfgott | chassidishe shechita & cholov yisroel full-service knowledgeable concierge | specialized tours & box lunches daily minyonim & lectures | day camp & babysitting | cool weather & low humidity
F E AT U R I N G
YITZCHOK MEIR HELFGOTTALONG WITH OTHER WORLD CHAZONIM