What’s Nu?! The Barmy Boy

Chad Brainin Mazal Tov to Roanne & Darryl Brainin and

grandparents Siegie & Eric Brainin and Loraine & Bernard Katzen and great grandmother

Sadie Brainin. Choson Kallah Mazal Tov

Kevin Fine & Yael Geffen Calendar

Shul Brocha in the Seeff Hall sponsored by Roanne & Darryl Brainin in honour or Chad’s Bar Mitzvah and by the Fine & Geffen Families in honour of Kevin & Yael. Parsha Shiur: 5:20 pm Rabbi Yehuda Stern Mincha: 5:50 pm Shabbos ends: 6:59 pm Fast of Esther: Thurs 17 Mar Fast Begins

5:01 am Ends 6:41 pm

Thank you to Charlie Fine Printers. For all your printing requirements call Jeff Fine 011-493-8522.

Acknowledgements: Chabad.org, Maurice Fisher.

Please take Good Shabbos Sydenham home if you will only carry it within the Eiruv.

Hilton Sawitzky, Nathan Fine & Tony Sacks of HNT FURNISHERS wish all congre-gants a good Shabbos. Call them on 011-887-5456 about gift vouchers for all simchas.

Shiurim @ Sydenham Shul Sunday morning 9 am—Mishna & Mysti-

cism Rabbi Goldman (boardroom) Monday 1 pm - Businessman’s Lunch &

Learn (Ukhuni Furniture Centre, Wynberg) Tuesday 1 pm—Ladies Shiur Rabbi Goldman (Elk Hall) Tuesday 7:45 pm - Gemorra Bava Metziya

Rabbi Goldman (Rabbi’s home) Tuesday 8:15 pm - Talmud Brachos (for

young men) Rabbi Stern (Rabbi’s home) Wednesday 8:00 pm - Hagaddah Shel

Pesach (for men & women) Rabbi Stern (Elk Hall) - Bring your own Haggadah.

Shabbos 8:15 am - Chumash Shmos Rabbi Stern (Shtibl)

Now you can find a Yahrtzeit Date or your Hebrew Birthday or Anniversary

on our website. Visit www.sydshul.co.za

and click on the Calculator icon.

12 March 2011 Parshas Vayikra 6 Adar 2 5771

Sacrificial Lamb Anyone? By Rabbi Yossy Goldman

“Sacrifice” is not a word one hears very often these days. It seems to pretty much have fallen out of our lexicon. “Sacrifice” has a negative ring to it, like giving up something precious or losing out on something big. No-body is getting in line to be the “sacrificial lamb.” It simply has a bad vibe to the modern ear.

Well, this week we begin reading and studying a book of the Torah, Vayikra-Leviticus, which essentially is a book about sacrifices – specifi-cally the variety offered on the altar of G-d in the Temple in days of old. So let’s confront some of our attitudes towards the word.

It’s been some decades now that the pursuits of self-fulfilment, personal self-esteem and ‘Looking Out for No.1’ have been taken as necessary givens in our lives. Assertiveness, self-respect, not to allow anyone else to make us their doormat, these are all taken for granted. Although of late martyrdom has become popular in certain cultures, generally Western sophisticates are not looking to be martyrs for anyone and sacrificial lambs are ancient, antiquated and decidedly not on to-day.

Take the case of Jewish mothers. Those lov-ing, selfless souls have long ago been tried, found guilty and convicted of smothering their children. “She demanded Medical School or else!” “She force fed me chicken soup - intravenously!” Famous Jewish novel-ists have made millions denouncing their mothers to the world.

While there may be an element of truth in the notion that Jewish parents can sometimes be overbearing or a little too pushy (just ask Jew-ish Day School Principals), I would venture to suggest that the sacrifices our parents, and es-pecially our mothers, have made over the gen-erations are worthy of our respect and eternal gratitude rather than our laying the blame for all our neuroses at their doorstep.

I think if we are objective we would have to admire and hold up as an icon any human be-ing who puts the welfare and happiness of oth-ers above their own. Why is such selflessness and sacrifice admirable in the heroes of nations and freedom movements but disdainful in our mothers? Surely the successes of Jewish sons and daughters must have a lot to do with the people who bore and raised them. It is a mod-ern miracle that a generation of penniless Jew-ish immigrants is directly responsible for their offspring’s smooth integration into the new world and their remarkable achievements in virtually every sphere of contemporary life. It simply could not have happened without major sacrifices and a total commitment by parents to their children.

But that was then. Today, we take a somewhat more enlightened approach. “I should ruin my own life for my kids’ sake?” “I need space.” “I need my own opportunities for self-expression and personal gratification.” All valid needs and worthy goals. But too often we seem to carry it a little too far. Why should a woman who has decided that she wants to be the best mother for her children that she possibly can be made

to feel inadequate if she gives up her career or even puts it on hold? If she derives genu-ine gratification from seeing her children well nurtured, independent, moral and proudly Jewish, is that a sin? Does that make her an anachronistic Bobba?

Once upon a time husbands and wives did not go out every single Saturday night, but they stood by each other through thick and thin. Once we were taking our kids to extra murals. Today we go to our own extramural activities - gym, golf, bridge, poker, the mani-curist and, of course, the therapist.

In fact, it may be that the reason we run to therapists is because we’re so darn busy with ourselves and we simply think about our-selves too much. “I’m overweight, I’m unfit, I’m unfulfilled, I’m depressed, etc.” If we spent more time thinking about others and extending ourselves, whether to our own families or the wider community, we might very well be a lot healthier emotionally.

Judaism teaches that sacrifice and selfless-ness are character traits to respect, admire and hopefully emulate. The Yiddishe Momma of old will be an eternal heroine to our peo-ple. Let’s stop being so obsessed with our-selves and our own satisfaction and start thinking about what we are needed for in this world. Please G-d, we will be able to keep our social and family balances on an even keel.

May the sacrifices we make and the caring and giving we do bring us the blessing of real nachas and ultimate personal satisfaction too.

Parsha Pointers Vayika: Hertz Chumash pg 410;

Living Torah pg 499

G-d calls to Moses from the Tent of Meet-ing, and communicates to him the laws of the korbanot, the animal and meal offerings brought in the Sanctuary. These include:

The "ascending offering" (olah) that is wholly raised to G-d by the fire atop the Altar;

Five varieties of "meal offering" (minchah) prepared with fine flour, olive oil and frank-

incense;

The "peace offering" (shelamim), whose meat was eaten by the one bringing the offering, after parts are burned on the Altar and parts are given to the Kohanim (priests);

The different types of "sin offering" (chatat) brought to atone for transgressions commit-ted erroneously by the High Priest, the entire community, the king, or the ordinary Jew;

The "guilt offering" (asham) brought by one who has appropriated property of the Sanc-tuary, who is in doubt as to whether he transgressed a divine prohibition, or who has committed a "betrayal against G-d" by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow man.

Purim Guide Information you need to know for

next week’s Festival

Purim begins this year after Shabbat ends on the evening of March 19th, and continues through Sunday night, March 20th. What follows is a brief step-by-step guide to Purim observance. Hear the Megillah! Hear the complete story of how Mordechai and Queen Esther helped save the Jewish people from the hands of the wicked Ha-man. Once next Saturday night after Shab-bos and again on Sunday morning. Give Gifts of Food! Purim is a day we show extra special friend-ship to our friends. Send your friends gifts of food that include at least two different types of food. For example: fruits and candies; cookies and a bottle of juice, or if you really want to be lavish - a bottle of fine whisky and a whole cake. You get the idea. Give Tzedakah (Charity)! Matanot l’Evyonim, gifts to the poor, is a

Sydenham Shul 24 Main Street, Rouxville, 2192.

Telephone: 640-5021, Fax: 485-2810

E-mail: sydshul@sydshul.co.za

Website: www.sydshul.co.za

special Mitzvah on Purim. Give some money to two poor people (or more) or put at least two coins in your favorite charity box. Rabbi Gold-man will be pleased to accept your gifts and dis-tribute it on Purim to need individuals on your behalf. Eat & Rejoice! Participate in a festive meal on Purim afternoon. Sit together with your family and friends, sing Jewish songs, have a L’chaim, tell the story of Purim, and be very merry!

Al Hanissim – is a special prayer added to the Amidah and the Bentching on Purim. Just follow the simple instructions in your Siddur or Bentch-ing card.

Humility By Rabbi Aryeh Citron

When G‑d called Moses to enter the Sanctuary for the first time, the verse states, Vayikra el Moshe, “And G‑d called to Moses.” The word vayikra is written with a small aleph, and the Baal HaTurim, in his commentary to this verse, says that Moses wrote this aleph smaller than the other letters, out of humility. Although Moses was sin-gled out among all of the Jews and chosen to directly communicate with G‑d, he minimized the importance of this by writing the word as if it said vayikar—“and G‑d happened upon Moses.”

Moses was the most humble person on the face of the earth. Certainly Moses knew that he was the one chosen by G‑d to redeem the Jews from Egypt, to split the sea, to receive the Torah, and to lead the Jews through the desert. Nevertheless, Moses remained humble because he thought that if someone else had been born with the same qualities he had, that person might have exceeded his own accomplishments. Of humility it is said: G‑d answers the prayers of a humble person. One who is humble is close to G‑d. Some are of the opinion that true humility is

the highest spiritual level that can be achieved. Live & Laugh

President Shimon Peres has invited Mubarak for Pesach to celebrate together the exodus from Egypt.

Special General Meeting of the Shul will take place on Wednesday 16 March at 8.00 pm. The business of the meeting will be the purchase of a

new property in the name of the Shul.

Congratulations to our Barmy Student of the Week:

Jarred Kotzen

“In the month of Adar we increase joy and happiness.”

BERRYBRIGHT B&B Kosher

Don’t drink & drive! Stay over at BerryBright B&B

and enjoy Sydenham Shul Street Brocha Friday night 25 March 2011

for Ponchos & Nachos Contact us for special rates Barry Office 011-262-3691

Cell 082-450-1800 Email: berrybright1197@gmail.com