Shabbat Parshat Beha’aloscha June 13 2009 21 Sivan 5769

GNS TEFILLA DIGEST: A Weekly Discussion about the Fundamentals of Jewish Prayer
By Rabbi Brahm Weinberg – Rabbinic Intern
Torah
This inspiring article about like to pray and what siddur Nevertheless, the Torah chooses
Artscroll, tefillah is sponsored by you like to use. to repeat the same list of gifts
774 Diane and David Rein in You can say parts of the tefilla twelve times; the only thing that
Hertz, 605 memory of Diane’s mother, in English if you feel that it will changes is the name of the person
Helene M. Fink z”l. greatly help you to find offering them. We know the
meaning in the siddur Torah does not waste words and
Haftorah Issue # 45 – Philosophy of You can add in your own yet here in parshat Naso (the
Artscroll, Prayer (Part II) personal thoughts to the longest parsha of the year) it
preexisting structure of the repeats the same 6 pesukim 12
1182 In last week’s article we prayers, add in your own words times! It could have just said
Hertz, 620 began our discussion of the at certain points, or even once “This is the korban of Nasi
philosophy of prayer by compose your own prayers to X,Y,Z,A,B...One silver bowl, one
pointing out that one of the be recited throughout the day or silver basin....”
Times
most difficult aspects of even at the conclusion of the
Candle lighting 8:08 pm prayer for people is that it is amidah. Many explanations have been
Mincha 7:00 pm so impersonal. We are all given for this repetition and many
such unique individuals All of these steps might be lessons about humility and
Hashkama 8:00 am with different desires, helpful in creating a more leadership have been drawn from
Minyan problems, hopes, and personal and more meaningful it. In this article I would like to
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am aspirations and yet, when prayer experience. However, focus on one explanation that is
we come to shul and pick even from a theoretical pertinent to our discussion.
Youth 8:30 am
up the siddur we suddenly perspective the Jewish
Main Minyan 9:00 am realize that our individual The Ramban explains that the key
philosophy of prayer is one that
Beit Midrash 9:15 am encounter with G-d is being demands a very personal to understanding the Torah’s
stifled because we are all investment in prayer even if on
repetition is the one difference in
Gemorah Shiur 7:00 pm reciting the exact same the surface the prayer each set of 6 pesukim: The name.
Mincha 8:00 pm words from the exact same requirements seem to be quite He says that the Torah offers a
siddur as everyone else. uniform. detailed description of the
Shabbat Ends 9:17 pm offerings of each Nasi during the
Sunday 7:30 am Last week we pointed to In last week’s parsha, Naso, we dedication ceremony of the
8:30 am some ways in which the read about the gifts that the mishkan in order to highlight the
Mon., &Thurs., 6:35 am
practical side of prayer can heads of the tribes of Israel fact that even though the physical
actually be made more donated to the mishkan during donation of each prince was
Tues., Wed., & 6:45 am personal. Here is a recap of the inauguration ceremony in identical, the Torah listed them all
Fri., a few of the suggestions: the month of Nisan the year because each prince mentally and
Second Shacharit after they left Egypt. All emotionally impressed his own
Minyan (Daily) 7:45 am You can make practical twelve of the leaders brought unique seal upon the offering
Mincha (week of 8:10 pm
choices about where you the exact same gifts. (Ramban, Bamidbar 7:2).
June 14)
Latest times for
Kiddush Seudah Shlishit
is sponsored by
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei is sponsored by Sheila & Moosa
June 13 9:08/10:24 am
Ada & Dov Berkowitz Ebrahimian
In memory of
June 20 9:09/10:25 am
In honor of the Aufruf their parents
Next Shabbat - Shelach Amin Ebrahimian
Candle lighting 8:11 pm
of their son And
yoni Faizullah Aminoff
Mincha 7:00 pm
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100
What was different about each set of gifts was exactly the
difference the Torah highlighted: The name, the person,
the uniqueness of the individual bringing the gift. Every
offering was fundamentally different because of the person
that brought it even if the silver content and the number of
animals were all the same.
The lesson that the Torah is highlighting by repeating the
gifts of each Nasi is that even when the method of
approaching G-d is the same for every individual, as was
the case with the korbanot, the experience can and must be
one that is unique to the individual.
Since we pray in place of bringing sacrifices (Berachot
26b), the same seal of individuality would be required in
prayer; although we all say the same words, G-d expects
that we as individuals will autonomously choose how to
infuse those words with our own thoughts, feelings, life
experiences, and needs.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook teaches that the
individual is called upon by G-d not to serve him in a
uniform manner, but according to his very own unique
understanding and feelings, based on the root of his
individual soul. According to Rabbi Kook, unlike many
other mystics, prayer does not force us to negate our
autonomous existence or to deny our own human dignity
and individuality, but actually assert it by infusing our
prayers with the imprint of our unique soul in whatever
way we choose.
Some of us may still feel like despite our uniqueness the
siddur and the experience of prayer has a very
homogenizing effect. Some of us may even feel some
apprehension about praying because it threatens our
autonomy or minimizes our relationship with G-d because
it is so impersonal. Because so many of us may feel these
emotions I would like to end today’s article by sharing a
very deep idea that is explained by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler
in his Michtav M’Eliyahu.
The Talmud (Brachot 5b) interprets the word “nafsho,”
man’s soul, in a verse from the book of Job as prayer
because the essence of man’s soul is prayer. Every desire
that a person has is essentially a prayer that begins in the
depths of one’s heart and sometimes is verbalized and
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program
Dale Polakoff, Rabbi
Shalom Axelrod, Assistant Rabbi
Brahm Weinberg, Rabbinic Intern
Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus
Zeev Kron, Cantor
Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus
Mark Twersky, Executive Director
Howard Silberstein, President
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
Shabbat Announcements Parshat Beha’aloscha, 5769
directed towards G-d (or sometimes towards other external
forces). It is for this reason that Rashi comments on the verse
in the book of Psalms “v’ani tefila,” “I am prayer” (Psalms,
109:4) by saying that a person is prayer because he is
constantly engaged in prayer.
At some level all people are engaged in prayer on a regular
basis voluntarily. The mandated times of prayer are just meant
to refine our prayers and make them more organized and
efficacious. If thought about in this way, prayer becomes
slightly less threatening to one’s personal autonomy because
we realize that we willingly choose to pray all the time and
only some of the time are we required to structure and order
that prayer in to the formal text of the siddur and format of shul
worship.
Thought to Ponder
We have all heard of the famous phrase “There are no atheists
in the foxhole.” This phrase, essentially, means that most
people feel that in times of extreme stress or fear, such as when
participating in warfare, a lot of people even those who are self
proclaimed atheists believe in or hope for a higher power. This
belief is often translated in to a prayer that a person thinks of
whispers to themselves asking to be saved or asking to take
care of the family they will leave behind. Could this common
phrase which describes the strange reality of faith in “atheists”
perhaps be explained by the statement of R. Dessler? Maybe if
the real essence of a person is prayer then when everything
seems to be taken away from them and they face the most
extreme of situations and stresses this one aspect of faith called
prayer emerges.
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 MEN’S CLUB BLOOD DRIVE
AS OF AUGUST 1, 2008 NEW YORK BLOOD
CENTER HAS ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT
WITH MAGEN DAVID ADOM TO BE A SUPPLIER
OF BLOOD DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
LONG ISLAND BLOOD SERVICES IS
URGING RESIDENTS TO DONATE BLOOD NOW
TO INSURE CONTINUED
CAPABILITY TO SERVE AREA HOSPITALS
BLOOD SUPPLIES HAVE DROPPED TO BELOW A
FIVE DAY SAFETY LEVEL
Great Neck Synagogue
Annual Family Luncheon
In Memory of Sharon Sokol Heisler z’l
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Guest Speaker: Gary Rosenblatt
Editor and publisher of The Jewish Week of New York
“ Problems Facing Yeshiva Education:
Now and in the Future”
Beautiful Catered Lunch by Prestige
$50 per person
$20 per child
(No charge for children under 4)

THROUGH THE GENEROCITY OF:
MAZURS MARKET AND BATAMPTE PICKLES
ALL DONORS WILL GET A
COUPON ENTITLING THEM TO A GIFT OF EITHER A
QUART OF SOUP OR SOUR PICKLES.
Youth Program Luncheon taking place same
time for first through eighth grade.
For reservations please call or e-mail
Mark Twersky at 487-6100
or email to: mtwersky@gns.org

Please come to the Great Neck Synagogue,

on Sunday, June 21, NAME____________________________________
between the hours of 8:15-1:15pm.
No. of reservations_________________
WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH
PHLOBOTOMISTS TO ENSURE THAT THERE WILL Seating Requests:
BE MINIMUM WAITING TIME.
1 ________________________________________
Please eat and drink plenty of fluids
on the day that you donate. 2 ________________________________________
Please remember that to make a blood
donation you need to be in good health, 3 ________________________________________
have I.D., know your Social Security number,
and weigh at least 110 lbs. 4 ________________________________________

Amount enclosed__________________

For more information please call:

Debbie Hollander 829-2013

GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE GRADUATION & CONGREGATIONAL KIDDUSH

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009

CELEBRATE ALL OF YOUR SMACHOT WITH US

BIRTHS, BAR & BAT MITZVAH, GRADUATIONS, WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARIES

BIRTHDAYS, OR COMMEMORATE A LOVED ONES YAHRZEIT

TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE CALL THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICE

OR SEND YOUR INFORMATION TO MTWERSKY@GNS.ORG
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Perek on the Lawn
The opening Perek of the season will be held this coming Shabbat at
the home of Rabbi Dale and Ellen Polakoff, 25 Wooleys Lane, at 6:00
pm. We’re hoping for a beautiful Shabbat afternoon and looking
forward to seeing you there.
HIGH SCHOOL PIRKEI AVOS CLASS
There will be a Pirkei Avos shiur for High School students every
shabbos afternoon approx. 40 minutes before mincha given by
Cary Schwechter in the GNS Youth Center.
PARSHA & PIZZA
Wednesday night June 10th, is the last Parsha & Pizza and the Grand
Raffle will take place. All children and parents who have participated
over the year are invited.
UPCOMING SISTERHOOD EVENTS
Tues., June 9th, 7:30pm at GNS we are presenting the
documentary "Always Remember Where You Came From: The Life of
Samuel Hersch Wang" Thank you very much to his daughter Debbie
Wang Etzion for organizing this special evening.
*Please Note that our Sisterhood event for Wednesday, August 5th at
8pm, Ladies Night Out to see “Menopause the Musical” at the Land-
mark on Main Street in Port Washington has been cancelled.
MEN’S CLUB EVENTS
Sun. June 14th, 9:30am A special breakfast reception to hear the
latest updates on the situation in Israel, by Rabbi Yaakov “Ketzeleh
Katz, member of Knesset and Chairman of the National Union Party,
and to show your support for the brave families of Hebron. A light
breakfast at GNS, co-sponsored by the GNS Men’s Club the Jewish
Political Education Foundation and the YIGN, will be served with a
special video presentation. Special guests: Noam Arnon, Rabbi
Simcha Hochbaum, Yoni Blechard, and Yossi Baumol. For more
info see Karen & Alan Mazurek and Linda & Mark Bunim.
Sun. Oct 18th, 1pm Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs New York Knicks at
MSG. All proceeds are donated to Migdal Ohr.
Mid-court tickets at $105 each. For tickets call Steve Blumner 487-
3859, Hilly Milun 504-0320, or Paul Brody 466-5412
Sun., July 26th 10am Bus Trip to the NYC Eldridge Synagogue and
Center for Jewish History. Cost including lunch is $60 per person.
Call Dave Wagner 487-9795, Hilly Milun 597-0320, or Al
Leiderman at 482-0628.
KOL DITZRICH
Cleaning up for the summer? We can re-use your old stuff! Please
bring: Eyeglasses, Hearing Aids, Cell Phones (with chargers),
Children’s Books (jewish & Secular), DVDs and Videos, Drop all items
at the shul office or bring to the coat lobby on Monday June 15th,
6-8pm. These items will be donated to people who can use them,
including: New Eyes for the Needy, Domestic Violence Shelters, Cell
Phones for Soldiers, Hospitals, and other worthy organizations. For
further info, call Ellie Werber 487-4745.
DOS YIDDISH VORT
Dos Yiddish Vort will be sharing letters in Yiddish from ‘yener tseiten’
on Wednesday, June 17th at 1:30 pm in the chalfin Room. If you have
any old letters you would like to share, bring them along. For more info
call Roz Wagner 487-9795.
BLOOD DRIVE
Semi-annual Men’s Club blood drive will be on Sunday morning, June
21st
HUNGER INITIATIVE
There will be a meeting of the GNS Hunger Initiative Tuesday, June
16th at 8pm at the home of Nechama Liss-Levinson on 13 Church
Street. Please join us and find out what’s been happening this past
year! Be part of the change you want to see in the world!
CHAI LIFELINE SHABBATON
This weekend together with YIGN we will welcome children from Chai
Lifeline who will be in Great Neck for a Shabbaton. They will be at
Great Neck Synagogue Saturday afternoon for Seudah Shlishit and
Mincha. For more info please see Arthur Kirsh.
GIVE OLD MAGAZINES A NEW LIFE
Please drop off your current used magazines to the Synagogue office
to be donated to NSUH. Please cut off labels, do not tear.
WITHIN OUR FAMILY
Mazal Tov to Ada & Mitchell Benerofe on the birth of a
granddaughter, Alexandra born to Samantha & Pete Giberga.
Mazal Tov to Brandon Gold, Eli Mendelson, Jordan Rosman and
Joseph Toledano from the NSHA Torah Bowl team. They placed second
in the NY Metropolitan Torah Bowl Finals.
Mazal Tov to Marcy & Dan Aharon on the birth of their daughter.
Mazal Tov to Vivian & Nik Kron on the birth of their son.
Mazal Tov to Ada & Dov Berkowitz on the upcoming marriage of their
son Yoni to Ariel Anhalt.
Mazal Tov to Rene & Abe Krieger on the upcoming marriage of their
daughter Anna to Dan Klein.
Mazal Tov to Sharon & Marcos Benzaquen on the Bat Mitzvah of
their daughter Daniella.
Mazal Tov to Susan & Irwin Lieberman on the birth of their first
grandchild, a son, born to their children Tzippy & Yoni Calm.
Mazal Tov to Solomon Birnbaum who won second place in the
Newsday Spring Stock Market Competition.
GNS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
Great Neck Synagogue warmly welcomes our new members:
Michael & Iris Wiener
MISSING TALLIS
If anyone finds a multi-colored tallis, or has taken it by mistake, please
return it to the Synagogue office ASAP!
SAM AHARONOFF MEMORIAL SHIVTEI TORAH CAMPAIGN
On Nov. 22nd, The NSHA and the NSHA High School, in conjunction with
the greater Great Neck Jewish Community, will hold a historic campaign
that will involve the dedication and commissioning of 12 new Sifrei Torah.
All proceeds will support the Sam Aharonoff Memorial Scholarship Fund to
help offset tuition costs for dozens of needy students. For more info:
www.shivteitorah.org, or Arnie Flatow 487-8687 ext 2.
NETWORKING EVENT
Sunday, June 28th, 9:30-11:30am the second networking event will take
place at Temple Israel. Please tell your friends and colleagues about this
event. People who are looking to hire from a very talented pool of people
should take advantage of this opportunity.
REFLECTIVE GNS VESTS
A limited supply of reflective vests with GNS logo on them are
available in the synagogue office for $5.
The Spira family would like to thank Rabbi Polakoff, Rabbi Axelrod,
Cantor Kron and the entire community for their outpouring of sympathy
and support following the passing of his mother Lily Spira, z”l.
Saturday, 21 Sivan
Sheila Ebrahimian for Faizullah Aminoff
Pearl Ginsburg for Hyman Ginsburg
Evelyn Henis for Anita Greenberg
Sunday, 22 Sivan
Eddy Barth for Mazal Barth
Dov Berkowitz for Meilech Berkowitz
Y Louise Kahn for Samuel Tuch
A Monday, 23 Sivan
Moshe Apelbaum for Shai Apelbaum
H Martin Ehrenberg for Frank Ehrenberg
Erein Justin for Moshe Tweg
R Phyllis Katz for William Kushner
Z Alan Prawer for Genia Prawer
Tuesday, 24 Sivan
E Jill Haft for Helen Strulovic
William Helmreich for Mark Helmreich
I Manny Strolovic for Helen Strulovic
T Wednesday, 25 Sivan
Jack Lipsky for David Lipsky
Thursday, 26 Sivan
Barry Maher for Javaher Maher-Afarin
Friday, 27 Sivan
Moosa Ebrahimian for Amin Ebrahimian
Mindy Leventhal for Charlotte Scheinnkman
Mahim Mardkha for Amin Ebrahimian
Mali Meisel for Annie Maultasch
Gerald Traub for Mollie Traub