Parshat Miketz Shabbat Chanukah December 4, 2010 27 Kislev, 5771

TORAH
ARTSCROLL, 222 Rabbi Jonathon Sacks – Parshat Miketz/Shabbat Chanukah
HERTZ, 155
Man Proposes, G-d taken from jail, washed, dressed we kill our brother and cover
HAFTORAH
ARTSCROLL, 1210 Disposes and brought before Pharaoh. He up his blood? Come, let's sell
HERTZ, 990
Rarely in the Torah interprets the dreams, proposes a him to the Ishmaelites and
MAFTIR
is a sedra break more solution to the problem they not lay our hands on him;
ARTSCROLL, 768
HERTZ, 598 foretell - seven years of famine,
strategically placed. Last after all, he is our brother,
Mevorchim Chodesh Tevet week's sedra ends with after seven years of plenty - and is our own flesh and blood." His
Molad Monday
Dec. 6, 9:48:4 am Joseph's bid for freedom. made viceroy of Egypt, second in brothers agreed. When
Rosh Chodesh authority only to Pharaoh himself.
Tuesday & Wednesday Having correctly interpreted Midianite merchants passed
the chief steward's dream - Why the delay? Joseph sought his by, they pulled Joseph up out
AUFRUF that in three days he would freedom and he obtained it - yet of the pit and sold him for
ALEXANDER be restored to his position - he did not obtain it because he twenty shekels of silver to
FRIEDMAN Joseph pleads with him: sought it. The steward forgot. the Ishmaelites, who brought
"When all goes well with you, Joseph had to wait two years. Joseph to Egypt.
Times
remember me and show me Something else - Pharaoh's dreams Who pulled Joseph
Early Mincha 3:00 pm
kindness; mention me to - had to intervene. There was a from the pit? Was it the
Candle Lighting 4:10 pm break between cause and effect -
Pharaoh and get me out of brothers or the Midianites?
Friday Mincha 4:10 pm this prison. For I was forcibly emphasised by the sedra division, The subject, "they," is
Haskhama 8:00 am carried off from the land of which means that we have to wait ambiguous. The
Youth 8:30 am the Hebrews, and even here I for a week before hearing the end commentators offered many
have done nothing to deserve of the story. Why? interpretations. Of these, the
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am
being put in a dungeon." Significantly, this is not simplest is given by
Main Minyan 9:00 am
He fails to do so. The last line the first time the Torah uses such Rashbam. He reads it as
Beit Midrash 9:15 am
of last week's sedra a device in the Joseph narrative. follows: The brothers, having
Gemorah Shiur 3:30 pm There is an extremely enigmatic
underlines the point by thrown Joseph into the pit,
Mincha 4:05 pm repeating it: "The chief passage several chapters earlier sat down some distance
Shabbat Ends 5:18 pm steward, however, did not when the brothers decide to sell away to eat. Reuben,
Sunday Dec. 5 7:30/8:30 am remember Joseph; he forgot Joseph: sneaking back to rescue
him." Then they sat down to a Joseph, finds it empty, and
Mon, Tues, 6:30/7:45 am
Wed,Thurs. Two years pass. meal. Looking up, they saw a cries, "The boy is gone! Now

Friday 6:45/7:45 am Pharaoh has dreams. None of caravan of Ishmaelites coming what am I to do?" The
from Gilead, their camels laden
Late Maariv 8:15 pm the interpretations offered by brothers do not calm him by
his experts satisfy him. Only with spices, balm and myrrh to be telling him they have sold
Mincha Sun./Fri. 4:10 pm
then does the chief steward taken to Egypt. Then Judah said to Joseph. They are as surprised
Latest times for
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei remember Joseph. He is his brothers, "What will we gain if as he is. Rashbam's

December 4 9:23/10:10 am
December 11 9:28/10:15 am
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Next Shabbat SPONSORED BY
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26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Parshat Miketz Shabbat Chanukah 5771
His. Between them there is a gap, not just in time, but in
explanation is that the brothers, having seen the Ishmaelites in
consciousness. We learn that we are not sole masters of our
the distance, decided to sell Joseph to them, but before they had
fate. Sometimes it is only after many years that, looking
the chance to do so, a second group of travelers, the Midianites,
back, we see the pattern in our life, and understand how
heard Joseph's cry, saw the possibility of selling him to the
Providence has shaped our destiny. Mikketz is the space we
Ishmaelites, and did so.
make in our minds for the things not under our control. The
The brothers intended to sell Joseph, and Joseph was
name of that space is faith.
sold, but not by the brothers. They sought to do the deed, and
the deed was done, but not by them. Unusually, but of immense
significance, the Torah is telling us something about Divine
providence. Between intention and outcome in both cases, there
was an intervention - the appearance of the Midianites in one
case, Pharaoh's dreams in the other. We are being given a rare SAVE THE DATE
glimpse of the workings of providence in history. Nothing in the
Joseph story happens by chance - and where an event most looks
like chance, that is where Divine intervention is most evident in
GREAT NECK
retrospect. SYNAGOGUE
We are at best co-authors of our lives. Not realizing it at
the time, the very act the brothers did to prevent Joseph's
59TH ANNUAL
dreams coming true, was the first step in their coming true. As for DINNER
Joseph, unbeknown to him, his life was part of a larger story -
revealed by G-d to Abraham generations earlier when He told him
that his children would suffer slavery in a land not their own. GUESTS OF HONOR
Sometimes we too catch a glimpse of the workings of fate in our
lives. Many times, I have had prayers answered - but never when
I expected, nor in the way I expected. In many cases, the answer
SHARON GOLDWYN
came after I had given up hope. Often G-d answers our prayers. AND
Providence exists. As Shakespeare said: "There's a divinity that MICHAEL & MINDY
shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will." But there is a
pause, an intervention, a break in the sequence of cause and
LEVENTHAL
effect, as if to say: things do not happen merely because we wish
them, but because they are part of the larger scheme of things.
BONEH HABAYIT AWARD
What Joseph discovered is that, as well as initiative and
enterprise, we also need patience, humility and trust. If our
PHYLLIS WEINBERG
prayers are legitimate, G-d will answer them, but not necessarily
when or how we think He will. That is the meaning of Mikketz -
SATURDAY EVENING,
"at the end of two full years." We must do our part; G-d will do
JANUARY 15TH, 2011
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi

Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi
Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus
Michael Bleicher, Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic Interns
Zeev Kron, Cantor
Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus
Mark Twersky, Executive Director
Joseph Hecht, President
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
 Thursday, December 2, 2010, 7:30 pm

TICKETS
Family Ticket $36 (reserved by Nov. 30)
$40 at the door
Single Ticket $18
Elementary & High School Students $10

Preferred Seating (5 tickets) $180

Reserved Seating (5 Tickets) $100

Please return form or call the shul office to get your tickets
516-487-6100 or email mtwersky@gns.org
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
HASKHAMA MINYAN KIDDUSH
Kiddush is being sponsored in honor of the 40th wedding
Within Our Family
anniversary of Ralene & Andrew Adler by their children Erica Mazal Tov to Alla & Mark Landa on the upcoming marriage of their
& Randall Katz, Michael & Nicole Adler, Devorah Adler and daughter Elizabeth to Alexander Friedman, son of Alla & Victor
grandchildren David Katz and Daniella Adler. Friedman.
Mazal Tov to Sara & Andrew Feldschreiber on the birth of their
daughter. Also Mazal Tov to grandparents Myra Honig and Murray
ONEG Honig.
Friday night, December 10th-Oneg for 9th and 10th graders at
the home of Rabbi Ian and Katie Lichter at 76 Berkshire Rd.
beginning at 7 pm.

WOMEN’S SHIUR Chanukah Bash

Women’s Rosh Chodesh Program– Thursday night, December 9th
at the home of Cindy Hodkin at 18 Birchwood Ln. at 8:00 pm. Youth Luncheon
This month we are privileged to have Amit Yaghoubi speaking
on the topic of “10th of Tevet-Turning Point of the Year?” Dec. 4, 2010
WOMEN’S TUESDAY LEARNING Entire youth program invited.
Women’s Tuesday learning is starting Tuesdays at 10 am in 1st grade and up.
The Braun Youth Center. Amit Yaghoubi will be teaching the
Shemoneh Esrei from start to finish with commentaries. Please
sign up for 5 weeks in the shul office for $50.00. You may also Don’t forget to sign your tickets
attend individual classes at a cost of $12.00 per class.
before Shabbat and bring to
COMBINED SISTERHOOD MEETING shul on the 4th.
Please join the Combined Sisterhood meeting on Monday morning,
December 13th at 10:00am at Temple Israel (Blue Room) to start
Lunch, Gifts for everyone
planning the Annual Combined Sisterhood Event which is being There will be a ticket hunt
hosted by Temple Israel this year. We welcome your ideas and
help! followed by the Grand Raffle.
SISTERHOOD MEETING PARENTS PLEASE PICK UP YOUR
Please join us on Wednesday evening, December 15th at 8:00 pm
in the Braun Youth center to discuss and plan upcoming CHILDREN AT 4:00 PM PROMPTLY
Sisterhood Events! We welcome your participation!

YOUTH NEWS SOLES4SOULS SHOE DRIVE

Saturday, Dec. 4, will be the annual Chanukah Bash Luncheon.
Please bring your signed Raffle tickets with you for the Grand
raffle.
SNOW BIRDS
Please notify the synagogue office BEFORE you leave Great Neck
so we can change our records and forward your mail.
LUNCH & LEARN FOR WOMEN ONLY
Wednesday, Dec. 8, from noon to 1pm at the home of Dr. Laura
Danoff, 4 Vista Drive, GN Estates. There will be a lecture “For the
Woman on the Go with a Desire to Know”, How the parsha of the
week will influence one’s life. RSVP by Dec. 3 to
openwyd613@aol.com.
DOS YIDDISH VORT celebrates Chanukah on Wednesday,
Dec. 1, at 1:30. Enjoy a potpourri of Yiddish melodies with Judy
Hirsch, a Chanukah mayse and sufganiot. All welcome. For more
information, call Roz Wagner at 516 487-9795.
HUNGER INITIATIVE Regular Food drop off’s continue Friday’s
at 18 Birchwood Lane. Drop off hours are between 10 am and
1 pm. Kindly place your food in the cooler. Also, soup containers
are available in the Shul office for those wishing to make soup for
the Hunger Initiative for Friday delivery to 18 Birchwood Lane. For
those wishing to provide food on Sundays, call Jackie Nissan
482-2697. If you have any Chanukah goodies such as jelly
donuts, latkes, extra baked goods or applesauce that you wish to
donate, please place them next to the cooler on Friday, Dec. 3.
Thank you. Chanukah Sameach!
COAT DRIVE
Coat Drive on Monday evening, December 13th, 6-8 pm. Gently
used coats and wedding gowns.
Did you know that over 300 million children worldwide are without shoes?
Join us in helping Soles4Souls, a non-profit charity that collects new and
gently-used shoes for distribution to people in over 125 countries, From
now until December 5, bring your new or gently-used shoes, sandals,
sneakers or boots to the Soles4Souls bin outside the synagogue office
(please be sure to attach each pair together).
Please contact Jordan Rosman (jrosman@nshahs.org) or Micah Spielman
mspielman@nshahs.org), or visit the Soles4Souls website (http://
www.soles4souls.org/)
LOST & FOUND
A ring was found this past Shabbat on Bayview Ave. Please call shul
office.
Saturday, 27 Kislev
Stuart Kaufman for Morris Kaufman
Sunday, 28 Kislev
Pauline Loewenstein for Naomi Rutta
Amir Mardkha for Touti Mardkha
Monday, 29 Kislev
Y Helaine Helmreich for Harry Gewirtz
Reuel Shinnar for Miryam Shinnar
A Tuesday, 30 Kislev
H Drora Brody for Mazal Yefet
Edith Lubin for Annie Goldberg
R Wednesday, 1 Tevet
Ada More Benerofe for Miriam Aviv
Z Steven Kashan for Ezra Kashan
E Stuart Schwartz for Herbert Schwartz
Norman Seif for Helen Gewirtz-Seif
I Chava Shalmon for Yosef Grinszpan
Martin Sokol for Milton Sokol
T Greald Traub for Emil Traub
Thursday, 2 Tevet
Alexander Forkosh for Clara Forkosh
Joseph Hyman for Leon Hyman
Friday, 3 Tevet
Lev Dynkin for Rakhil Shifman