Parshat Bechukosai May 21, 2011 17 Iyar, 5771

Torah Rabbi Frand on Parshat Bechukosai

Artscroll, 708
Hertz, 542
I Love You and I unfortunately been And then G-d
Haftorah Will Not Be fulfilled. Unbelievable promises us that He
Artscroll, 1179 Disgusted by You descriptions such as will live with us:
Hertz, 551 women having to eat "And I will place my
In this week's their children in order Mishkan in your
BAR MITZVAH
SHAWN WYDRA parsha we find the to survive are things midst..." [Vayikra
BAT MITZVAH
first of the two that we have 26:11] (This is a
ELIANA WYDRA Tochachas that are unfortunately seen in blessing, that
present in the Torah. our own lifetime. unfortunately, after
Times G-d warns us about 2000 years of not
Candle Lighting 7:52 pm what will be if we But, before the having a Beis
Friday Mincha 7:00 pm do not keep the Tochacha begins, there HaMikdash, we
Hashkama 8:00 am Torah. The curses is a relatively small cannot even
Youth 8:30 am enumerated are very parsha of Bracha contemplate; but it is
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am
graphic - and if one, [Blessing] -- what will a tremendous
after hearing of all be if we keep the blessing to be able to
Main Minyan 9:00 am
the terrible tragedies mitzvos. The Torah feel G-d's holiness in
Beit Midrash 9:15 am
which have befallen enumerates many our midst.) But that
Gemorah Shiur 6:45 pm the Jewish people, wonderful things. We same verse which
Mincha 7:45 pm now has doubts will have plenty, there begins by speaking of
Shabbat Ends 9:00 pm about Emunah [faith will be peace in the G-d placing His
Sunday (in G-d)], all he has land, we will be able to Mishkan in our midst
May 22 7:30/8:30 am
to do is read this conquer our enemies, ends with the words
Mon., Thurs. 6:35/7:45 am chapter and he will we will become "...and I will not
Tues. Wed., Fri. 6:45/7:45 am realize that populous and detest you" (v'lo sig-
Mincha 7:55 pm everything that has prosperous -- all the al nafshi eschem).
Sun/Thurs. been warned of in wonderful things.
Latest times for these curses has The commentaries
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei
May 21 9:12/10:25 am
Kiddush & Seudah Shlishit
May 28 9:10/10:24 am are sponsored by
Next Shabbat
Karen & Edward Wydra
Bamidbar in honor of
the Bar Mitzvah of their son Shawn
Candle lighting 7:58 pm and
Mincha 7:00 pm the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter Eliana
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Parshat Bechukosai 5771

divorced, are at war with each other. They

are bothered by this verse; it does not seem to get down in the gutter and try to destroy
make any sense. Here G-d is telling us how each other. Nothing is worse than former
much He loves us and is promising us all the lovers who now hate each other.
Brochos, so is this the place to conclude with
the sentiment "I will not despise you?" What this verse is saying is that G-d is
promising, that he will love and cherish and
Imagine, a fellow proposes to a girl. After take care of the Jewish people. But G-d
going out on a number of dates, he is finally prophesizes that He Knows that they will
ready to "pop the big question." He begins, "I not be faithful and He will have to chase
am going to love you, I am going to cherish them out of Eretz Yisroel. The Sages and the
you, I am going to take care of you..." and Medrashim use the analogy of a husband
then he concludes, "...and I am not going to and wife who have to separate to explain G-
be disgusted by you either." Imagine... How d's need to drive the Jewish people out of
far would that would get him? their land.
That, at first glance, would seem to be what G-d then informs, that when I split with you
this verse is saying. The words "sig-al nafshi"
-- it will not be a bitter divorce. Even then, I
have connotations of being nauseating and will never come to hate you. I will never
despicable! What does the verse mean? detest you. Even when I have to send you
out and we have to -- so to speak -- divorce,
I saw a beautiful insight from the work I will always love you, I will never detest
Shemen HaTov. The Shemen HaTov explains you. This is the greatest blessing.
that it is a wonderful thing when two people
love each other. But, unfortunately we know The Gemara in Sanhedrin [7a] gives a
that when two people have loved each other powerful description: "When our love was
and then they fall apart, there is no greater strong, we could have slept on the blade of a
hatred than love spurned. sword, but now that our love is not strong
there is no bed in the world that is big
In general, people who divorce are enough to hold us both."
unfortunately the best example of people who
hate each other. People who loved each other G-d however says, that is not the way it will
and shared everything, but Heaven Forbid get be when He finds it necessary to discipline
the Jewish people. He will never detest us.
Great Neck Synagogue

We will always be special. This is a special

Shabbat Activities Program
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program
Bracha. That is why it appears in the
Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Brochos and not in the Curses.
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
 Great Neck Synagogue     
  Great Neck Synagogue Presents
Chesed drive for the month of May 
 
Please donate small appliances, new kitchen & household  Lag Ba’omer Family Chesed Outing
items. Please make sure any items that will touch food 
directly are brand new. 
and
Drop off times will be:  Un-Birthday Party
Wednesday evening‐ May 18th 
‐ 7:30 ‐ 9:00 pm 
Friday morning ‐ May 20th  Come join us and the children of Ohel for
‐ 9:30 ‐11:30am  fun, food and fabulous games and activities
Please drop off at the back entrance of the GNS.  for families and children of all ages
If you need to make other arrangements to drop off items 
please contact Great Neck Synagogue at 487‐6100 
Or Pia Shlomo at pspilk@aol.com  May 22nd, 2011
Donations will go to Hachnassat Kallah  11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Kings Point Park,
 
HELP FOR   Steamboat Road Entrance
TORNADO VICTIMS!  Rain Location: Great Neck Synagogue Gym
 
Great Neck Synagogue is collecting the following  
new or gently used items:  Cost: $36 per family*
  Sponsorships available: $50 and up
CAN OPENERS 
Please RSVP by May 18th
BABY BOTTLES & PACIFIERS 
A & D OINTMENT 
BABY/CHILD THERMOMETERS 
*All families attending are requested to bring
BABY RATTLES AND TEETHERS 
MATERNITY CLOTHES  a new, unwrapped present
BABY CLOTHES  which will be donated to the children of Ohel
TODDLER CLOTHES 
 
Please leave in bin at GNS office  OR  
Drop off at Liss‐Levinson @ 13 Church St. 
  For more information contact
For more info: call Nechama at 773‐3572 
sarafeldschreiber@hotmail.com
 

 
STATE OF ISRAEL BONDS 
Great Neck Community Event 
At Great Neck Synagogue 
Honoring 
Florin & Howard Silberstein 
 

Keynote Speaker 
Mordecai Z. Dzikansky 
Terrorism expert 
 

Sunday morning, May 22, 2011 
10 am 
 

For info contact Tricia Moslin 
Event co‐chair  
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
MENS’ CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS
Sun. May 22: Israel Bond breakfast honoring Howard & Florin
Silberstein.– 10 am. The guest speaker for the bond event is
Mordecai Z. Dzikansky, terrorism expert and author of
"The Terrorist Cop".
Sun, June 12: The semi-annual Blood Drive.
Tues & Wed, June 28 & 29: The Annual Defensive Driving
Course.
Sun. July 17: Trip to NYC Jewish Heritage Museum.
WOMENS TEFILA
This Shabbat evening Women’s Tefila will meet at 7:00pm for
Mincha and to celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Eliana Wydra. Kiddush
will be sponsored by Karen & Edward Wydra in honor of their
daughter’s Bat Mitzvah.
GREAT NECK MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
Monday, May 30, 2011 at 9:15 am
(Those attending the late morning minyan should join us
immediately after services). Great Neck Synagogue’s starting
point is on Pont Street west of South Middle Neck Road (Pont
Street is one block south of Great Neck Road, the LIRR and the
Waldbaum’s Shopping Center). Middle Neck Rd. will be closed
after 9:25 a.m. The best access route to Pont St. after that time
is via Great Neck Road. Pont St. is a short walk from Great Neck
Road. We will be marching with other synagogues down Middle
Neck Road, onto the village Green and past the reviewing stand.
We are looking for shul members of all ages to join us as
we march behind our shul’s banner. To make our presentation
even more exciting, those with convertibles, classic cars or
motorcycles and scooters are encouraged to join with us as
well. There will be T-Shirts and Flags for all.
Sponsored by the Men's Club and Sisterhood
Any questions, please feel free to contact Alan Steinberg, our
parade Chair at Orlyalan@aol.com.
DOS YIDDISH VORT
DYV welcomes back snowbirds on Wednesday, May 18 at 1:30 pm. Please remember to sign your tickets before hand and bring them on
Our favorite Pearl Ginsburg returns to read from Sholem
Aleichem's "Motl Pacey, Dem Chasn's. All are welcome.
For information call Roz Wagner at 487-9795.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
The Sisterhood would like to thank Kimberly Mayer for organizing Kings Point Park with games, food and activities for children of all
a hugely successful Zumba class this week at Great Neck
Synagogue with instructor Michelly from Zumbrazil. We hope to
be able to offer future Zumba classes for our Sisterhood
members!
BLOOD DRIVE
Our semi-annual blood drive will be held at Great Neck
Synagogue on Sunday morning, June 12, 2011 from 8:15 am
until 1:15 pm to make an appointment please call the
synagogue office at 516 487 6100 or Al Leiderman, blood bank
chairman at 516 482 0628
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
The Sisterhood of Great Neck Synagogue enjoyed participating in
a very successful Great Neck Sisters' Project this past week for
the Annual Combined Sisterhood Event hosted by Temple Israel.
We are grateful to the many sisterhood members who came from
our shul to help organize items being donated to women and
children helped by the Nassau County Coalition against Domestic
Violence. Special thank you to Anida Rosman for all her time and
effort coordinating this endeavor so that our shul could participate.
SAVE THE DATE:
The NSHA Annual Journal Dinner celebrating the 10th anniversary
of its High School and its 56 year tradition of excellence will take
place on Thursday, May 26th at Jazz at Lincoln Center, honoring
the visionaries who have made the HS a reality-Founders,
Lisa & Ivan Kaufman and Headmaster, Dr. Daniel Vitow. To place
an ad or make a reservation, please call Mr. Arnie Flatow
Executive Director at 487-8687ext 133.
Within Our Family
Mazal Tov to Karen & Edward Wydra on the
Bar Mitzvah of their son Shawn and the Bat Mitzvah of
their daughter Eliana.
Mazal Tov to Sharon & Mark Twersky on the birth of
a granddaughter, Ella Simone, born to their children
Jennifer & Daniel Twersky.
Mazal Tov to Mindy & Charles Hercman on the
upcoming marriage of their daughter Jennifer to
Itamar Futterman.
Mazal Tov to Shani Jensen on being inducted to the
Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Mazal Tov to Janet & Ken Greenhut on on the birth of a
granddaughter, Abigail Ann, born to their children
Eric & Pamela Greenhut.
SAVE THE DATE
Yom Yerushalayim Family Outing will take place on Wednesday
evening, June 1. More details to follow.
60th ANNIVERSARY CHESED PROGRAM
The May collection for Hachnasat Kallah, where we will be
collecting small new appliances, household items and kitchen
items will take place on May 18th at the Synagogue. We thank
Pia & Michael Shlomo for their help this month.
YOUTH NEWS
Next Friday evening May 20th at 9:30 pm at the home of Aksana
and Rabbi Jensen, 7 Brook Lane, there will be a 9th and 10th grade
Oneg. Rabbi Acobas from Shaare Zion will be joining us. The Annual
Youth Bash and Grand Raffle will take place on Saturday , June 4th.
that Shabbat to be in the raffle.
CHESED EVENT BENEFITING OHEL ON LAG BA OMER
As part of our 60th Anniversary Chesed Celebration, we are
planning a family outing on May 22nd beginning at 11:30 am at
ages. Cost is $36 per family, $50 to sponsor. Each family should
bring an unwrapped, new toy which will be donated to Ohel.
Contact sarafeldschreiber@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities.
Saturday, 17 Iyar
Aaron J. Eliach for Chana Eliach
Murray Frank for Pearl Gold
Stuart Kaufman for Florence Kaufman
Sunday, 18 Iyar
Emile Heskel Kattan for Edward Kattan
Karen Shein for Philip Weitman
Y Monday, 19 Iyar
Susan Castle for Avraham Dobkowski
A Louisa Prawer for Ruben Fuchs
Carl Rosenberg for Blanche Rosenberg
H Edward Weiss for Bertha Weiss
Tuesday, 20 Iyar
R Ellen Siegel for Avraham Givner
Wednesday, 21 Iyar
Z Sheila Bachman for Allan Bachman
E
Helene Bayme for Maurice Asher
Herzel Nir for Abraham Nir
I Thursday, 22 Iyar
Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Yoseph Gabbaizadeh
T Ira Lubin for Esther Alberts
Ester Noy for Abraham Nir
Paul Wein for Melvin Wein
Friday, 23 Iyar
Jacqueline Fischer for Menachim Mendel Salomon
Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Auma Gabbaizadeh
Marilyn Weingarten for Eva Applebaum