Email Your Rabbis:
RABBI YEHUDA MOSES, Rav HaKehillah, Senior Rabbi
[email protected]
RABBI MICHAEL ABRAHAM, Executive Director
Associate Rabbi/Hazan
[email protected]
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Erev Shabbat — MAY 3
Candle Lighting 7:20 pm
Shir Hashirim 6:15 pm
Mincha/Arvit 6:30 pm
SHABBAT
Rabbi Moses Parsha Shiur 8:15 am
Shacharit 8:45 am
Teen Minyan 9:30 am
Beit Midrash 5:30 pm
Rabbi Moses Shiur 6:15 pm
Mincha/Arvit 7:00 pm
(Followed by Seudat Shlishit)
Havdalah 8:15 pm Rosh Chodesh Sunday/Monday
SUNDAY
Shacharit 8:00 am & 9:00 am
(Followed By Breakfast) .
Mon. — Fri.
Shacharit 6:30 am
Sun – Thurs.
Mincha/Arvit 7:25 pm
Erev Shabbat — MAY 10
Candle Lighting 7:25 pm
Mincha/Arvit 6:30 pm
IMPORTANT HALALHIC TIMES
Earliest Talit & Tefillin 5:06 am
Last Time for Shema M”A 8:43 am
Last Time for Shema GR”A 9:25 am
Latest Tefillah M”A 10:05 am
Latest Tefillah GR”A 10:33 am
Hazot Hayom 12:50 pm
MAY 3 ~ MAY 9, 2019 • 28 NISAN ~ 4 IYAR * 5779
Parashat Acharei Mot Shabbat Mevarchim
CONGREGATION MOGEN DAVID
9717 W PICO BLVD. LOS ANGELES CA 90035 • 310.556.5609 •
WWW.MOGEN-DAVID.ORG
MAY
Shaul Barnes Mary Raskin Eva Martin Charles Silver Benjamin
Holland
Charlotte Chouaiki Betty Belawsky Robert Blaugrund Lester
Liberman
Benjamin Sheff Sadie Alperson David Richard Katz Charles Raskin
Habib Kashanian Rachel Barnes
Benjamin Jaffe Ychiel Chaim Rosenwald Jeff Krone Steven
Weiss
Myrna Jaffe Ellen Weinberg Mitchell Safren Esther Bernstein
Robert Greenberg Naomi Guttman Rae Spivak Rosalie Snyder
Lydia bat Esther Yaakov
MAY
Abikzer Malka Aaron Breitbart Beverly Venouziou
Betty Sytner Ariel Halwani Rita Aynesazan
Benjamin Gerendash Benjamin Nahamia
Eliyah Harari Oved Anter Martin Pollack
Sivan Hakakian Rachel Halham
Raphaela Bayanfar Edvin Malekan Amy Minc
Reuben Robin Moshe Kupietzky Bella Kohan
Ava Abergel Yonathan Saour Barry Jaffe
Jonathan Mizrahi Abigail Bamela Liora Engel
Michael Azeroual Neil Sheff Parviz Saour
Sanaz Kashanian Albert Bamela
Eddie Mendelsohn Emmanuel Sarir
Tova Sarir Patrick Sabbah
MAY
Jon & Eve Halwani
Daniel & Shery Javaherian
Oren & Deborah Kashanian
Jonathan & Raizy Nissanoff
Emmanuel & Tova Sarir
Michael & Edith Singer
Barry & Betty Sytner
Ernest & Charlotte Wulkan
Please include the Following Individuals in Your
Prayers So that Each May be Granted
Refoua Shelema
Chaya Liel Bat Tali, Yehoshua Ben Orah
Levi Ben Maytal HaCohen,Sarena Bat Rachel,
Meir Ben Devorah, Avraham Ben Rachel,
Menashe Ben Rosa, Akram Bat Habiba, Ezra Ben Naima,
Naama Bat Aviva, Gideon Ben Leslie,
Michael Nader Ben Molouk Zimra, Haim Ben Hannah
If you would like us to include a name on this list,
please call us at (310) 556-5609,
email the office at [email protected], or
email the Rabbis at
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Thank You To Our Sponsors
THIS WEEK
KIDDUSH & SEUDAH SHLISHIT
Will Be Sponsored By
Haim & Helen Dayan
In Memory of Avraham Ben Roza
And
Nader & Tally Kosh
& Shashoua Family
In Memory of Yosef Ben Elisha
TEEN MINYAN Sponsorship
Is Available
UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Please Save The Date
For Our Upcoming Elections
On June 2nd
(Right Before Summer Break)
Between 8:30 am and 10:00 am.
All The Best,
Rabbi Michael Abraham
Executive Director/Associate Rabbi
Please Pray for the Refoua Shelema of
Our Soldier Netanel Felber
Who Was Critically Wounded in the Attack
At the Givat Assaf Junction
Parashat Shemot
The Mitzvah of Counting the Omer The Torah states (Vayikra 21,
15): “And you shall count for yourselves, from the day following
the Shabbat, from the day the waved Omer offering is brought, seven
complete weeks shall they be.” Our Sages (Menachot 65b) have a
tradi-tion that the “day following the Shabbat” refers to the day
following the first day of Pesach which is a holiday. (This is what
is meant by the words, “the day fol-lowing the Shabbat,” i.e. the
day following the first day of Pesach which is a holiday, also
known as “Shabbaton.” Therefore, on the night following the first
day of Pesach following Arvit, we immediately begin counting the
Omer.) It is a Torah commandment to count the Omer beginning from
the Sixteenth of Nissan until the end of seven weeks, which is a
period of forty-nine days. Counting the Omer-A Torah or Rabbinic
Commandment Nevertheless, since the Torah also states (Devarim 16,
9), “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when the
sickle begins to strike the standing stalks shall you begin to
count these seven weeks,” which means from the time the Omer
offering was harvested and unfortunately nowadays when the Bet
Hamikdash no longer stands, we have neither the harvesting of or
bringing of the Omer offering. Thus, this Mitzvah of counting the
Omer is only rabbinic in commemoration of the services performed in
the Bet Hamikdash. Therefore, in the “Leshem Yichud” text
customarily recited before counting the Omer, one should omit the
phrase, “As the Torah states, ‘And you shall count for
your-selves’” etc. for the Mitzvah of counting the Omer is no
longer a Torah com-mandment. (Although according to the opinion of
the Rambam and the Ra’avaya there is no correlation between the
Mitzvah of counting the Omer and the har-vesting the Omer and
according to them the Mitzvah of counting the Omer is a Torah
commandment even nowadays, nonetheless, we do not rule this way and
the Halacha in this matter follows Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch, whose
rulings we have accepted, who rules that counting the Omer is only
a rabbinic command-ment nowadays, for this is indeed the opinion of
Rav Hai Gaon, Tosafot, Rosh, Itur, Rashba, Ran, and others). One
Who Forgets to Count One Day The Mitzvah of counting the Omer is a
Mitzvah during every single day of the counting period, and for
this reason we recite a blessing on it before counting every single
day. However, according to the opinion of the Ba’al Halachot
Gedolot, if one has forgotten to count the Omer on one day during
the counting period he can no longer continue to count the Omer
since it is not possible to count by skipping (for if one counts
one, two, four, he has counted incorrectly; thus, if one missed
counting one day he can no longer rectify this and what he counts
from now on is not considered counting at all). Halachically
speaking, we hold that even if one has forgotten to count one day
of the Omer, he may in fact continue to count the rest of the days
for every day is a separate Mitzvah regardless of the other days.
Nevertheless, since we always follow the great rule of “when in
doubt, do not bless,” regarding the blessing we are concerned about
the opinion of the Ba’al Halachot Gedolot. Therefore, if one
forgets to count one day of the Omer, one should continue to count
the rest of the days as usual; however, from now on he should not
recite the blessing before counting. A Child who Turns Thirteen
during the Omer Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”ldiscusses (in his
Responsa Yabia Omer, Volume 3, Orach Chaim, Chapter 27) the Halacha
regarding a child who turns thirteen years old during the Omer
period. Since the days he has counted until this point were counted
when he was still a child and not halachically obligated to perform
the Mitzvot like an adult, his status is similar to one who has not
counted the Omer until now and thus does not continue to count with
a blessing on subsequent nights. He speaks lengthily and brings a
great many sources to support his view. The luminaries of the
previous generation debated this matter at length. Nevertheless,
halachically speaking, a child who turns thirteen years old during
the Omer should continue to count on the subsequent night without
reciting a blessing. The Time for the Counting and the Laws of
Women and Counting the Omer The appropriate time for counting the
Omer is at night; however, if one forgets to count at night, one
may count throughout the day without reciting a blessing before
counting, in which case one may continue counting on all subsequent
nights while reciting a blessing. Women who count the Omer should
not recite a blessing before counting. Ac-cording to our custom
though, women do not count the Omer at all. The reason for this is
discussed by the Mekubalim.
Parashat Acharei Mot
One of our most significant challenges is serv-ing Hashem
consistently with genuine enthusiasm and pas-sion. The Navi Yeshaya
cautions: "Befiv ubesfatav kibduni velibo richak mimeni, vatehi
yiratam oti mitzvat anashim me-lumadah"(29:13) - "In as much as
this people has drawn close, with its mouth and with its lips it
has honored Me, yet it has distanced its heart from Me. The fear of
Me is like rote learning of human commands." Even Aharon HaKohen
who was granted the unique privilege of entering the Kodesh
HaKodashim is warned, "Ve'al yavo bechol et el hakodesh (Vayikra
17:2)" - "Do not come at all times into the sanctuary." Rashi
comments, "..ulefi shegaluy shechinati sham yizaher shelo yargil
lavo." - "Because my Shechinah is there, take heed not to come
regularly." Even the sublime, pristine experience of hashra'a
hashechinah can become 'normal' if treated as ordinary and routine.
The balance of loyal adherence to the devar Hashem and the
importance of spiritual growth and creativity underlie the
Parshiyot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. Parsahat Acharei Mot, which
follows the death of the b’ne Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, emphasizes
obedience of the devar Hashem. Nadav and Avihu were killed for
offering an "Aish zara asher lo tziva otam," an alien fire that He
had not commanded them. The clear message of their death
underscores that genuine Avodat Hashem rests on strict observance
of the letter of the law. However, one who is merely concerned with
the letter of the law easily becomes what the Ramban terms a Naval
B'reshut HaTorah, a sordid person with the permission of the
To-rah. The next parasha, Kedoshim T'hiyu obligates us to em-brace
the Torat Hashem with an added sense of enthusiasm and passion. The
days of Sefira are a period of preparation for kabalat Ha-Torah.
The Kli Yakar notes that no where does the Torah refer to Chag
HaShavuot as zman matan Torateinu. He explains this striking
omission as follows: "Lo ratza Hashem L'hagbil yom yadua l'fi
shetzarich ha'adam sheyihiye dome lo b'chol yom vayom mikol yemot
hashana k'ilu b'oto yom kibla maiHar Sinai". Hashem did not wish to
limit or confine kabalat HaTo-rah to a single day. Each day we must
approach the Torat Ha-shem with a sense of newness and freshness.
It is with these qualities of genuine commitment and passion that
we continue to grow and develop as true ovdei Hashem. Post-Pesach
is a perfect time and opportunity to rededicate ourselves to
Mitzvot and Kedusha in anticipation of Zeman Mattan Toratreinu just
5 short weeks away!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yehuda Moses,
Rav HaKehillah/Senior Rabbi
Congregation Mogen David
Halachic Illuminations Special Events, Shiurim &
Announcements
