Parshat Vayigash Schedule

Oneg Shabbat

Friday, December 10

• 06:50 am – Shacharit
• 03:50 pm – Mincha
• 03:53 pm – Candle Lighting
• 08:00 pm – Oneg Shabbat at the home of Josh and Tamar Vogel, 46 Maple Street in Malden

Saturday, December 11

• 07:45 am – Shacharit at Salem Towers
• 08:45 am – Shacharit
• 09:20 am – Latest Time for Kriat Shema
• 11:30 am – Kiddush
• 03:30 pm – Mincha
• 04:00 pm – Se’udah Shlishit
• 04:50 pm – Ma’ariv
• 05:01 pm – Shabbat Ends

Week of December 12 – 17

Shacharit

• 08:00 am – Sunday
• 06:40 am – Monday, Thursday, and Friday (Fast of 10 Tevet)
• 06:50 am – Tuesday and Wednesday

Mincha

• 03:55 pm – Sunday – Thursday
• 03:45 pm – Friday

Ma’ariv

• 04:25 pm – Sunday – Thursday

Schedule for the Fast of 10 Tevet

Friday, December17

• 05:56 am – Fast begins
• 06:40 am – Shacharit
• 03:45 pm – Mincha (read Torah/Haftarah, no avinu malkenu)
• 03:54 pm – Candle Lighting
• Fast ends after friday night kiddush

Weekly Words of Torah

Clinging to Tradition

Insights into Parshat Vayigash by Mr. Benjy Lebowitz of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

In the middle of this weeks Parsha (46:2), when Ya’akov Avinu prepares to leave Eretz Yisrael, the verse says “And G-d spoke to Israel in visions of the night”.  The Meshech Chochma points out that only by Ya’akov do we see that Hashem spoke with him at night (here and previously in Parshat Vayetze), but by Avraham Avinu  and Yitzchak Avinu, the verses never mention this.  What is the reason that Hashem conversed with Ya’akov here specifically at nighttime?
The Meshech Chochma explains that at this juncture, Ya’akov was preparing to leave and live outside of Eretz Yisrael. He may have been somewhat nervous that the Shechina (Divine Presence) would be withdrawn from him.  Therefore, Hashem appeared to him specifically at nighttime in order to demonstrate to him that even in the darkness of night, even in the darkness of Galut (the Exile), the Shechina can still be with us.
This fits well with the Talmud Megillah (29) which says those who were exiled to Babylonia were accompanied by the Shechina.  Even in Galut, the Shechina can still exist.  This idea of Ya’akov having a connection to darkness and Galut also fits into a Talmud in Tractate Berachot. The Talmud on Berachot (26) tells us that Avraham and Yitzchak established Tefilot Shacharit v’Mincha (the prayer services of the morning and afternoon), which corresponded to the morning and afternoon daily sacrifices in the Temple, and Ya’akov established Ma’ariv which corresponded to the leftover limbs and fats that can be offered both day and night.  We see that Ya’akov has a relationship to night/darkness and that his prayer is the one that corresponds to sacrifices that could be offered during the day and darkness.
The Talmud towards the end of Tractate Mo’ed Katan teaches us that Yechezkel was able to have a nevu’ah (prophecy) in Galut because he started off in Eretz Yisrael. This is why the conclusion of the daily Avodah (service), such as the leftover limbs and fats, is able to take place at nighttime (even though halachically it is a new day), because since the beginning stages of the sacrifice (the shechita, slaughter, and zerika, splashing) were performed on them during the day, the conclusion of the process can continue at nighttime.
The Meshech Chochma continues and explains that this is why in the “Laminatze’ach” psalm we say, “Ya’ancha Hashem b’yom tzara, yisagevcha shem Elokei Ya’akov” (May Hashem answer you on your day of distress (tzara), May the Name of the G-d of Ya’akov make you impregnable). In times of tzara and darkness, we reach out to Elokei Ya’akov, the forefather who experienced a revelation of the Shechina in darkness.
From here we see an underlying principle, that when the Jewish people hold on to the mesorah (tradition) and follow the ways of our forefathers, then we will be strong and the Shechina will be able to reside with us even in Galut and at night. But if we forget the brit (covenant) of our forefathers and do not follow the Torah, then G-d forbid there would be a hiding of the Shechina in Galut. We learn from here that even for those of us in Galut, if we continue our focus on Talmud Torah (Torah Study) and Shemirat mitzvot (observance of the commandents), then the Shechina will still be with us.