SEED Luncheon
Shabbat Schedule
Friday, August 3
- 06:50 am – Shacharit
- 07:00 pm – Mincha
- 07:42 pm – Candle lighting
Saturday, August 4
- 07:45 am – Shacharit at Salem Towers
- 08:45 am – Shacharit
- 09:15 am – Latest time for Kriat Shema
- Cancelled – Jr. Congregation
- 11:15 am – SEED Luncheon
- 04:45 pm – Ladies’ Torah class – by Rebbetzin Rabinowitz
- 06:30 pm – Men’s Torah class – by a member of the SEED program
- 07:15 pm – Mincha and Se’udah Shlishit
- 08:35 pm – Ma’ariv
- 08:50 pm – Shabbat Ends
Weekday Schedule
August 5 – 10
Shacharit
- 08:00 am – Sunday
- 06:40 am – Monday and Thursday
- 06:50 am – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
Mincha
- 07:35 pm – Sunday – Thursday
- 07:00 pm – Friday
Ma’ariv
- 08:05 pm – Sunday – Thursday
To print this schedule, click here to go directly to the post, and then press ctrl-P (Windows) or cmd-P (Mac) to print it.
Weekly Words of Torah
Love of the Land
Insights into Parshat Va’Etchanan of Mr. Binyomin Barman of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.
This week’s Parsha begins with Moshe’s request to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael. We see this in the third Pasuk of this week’s Parsha:
“אעברה נא ואראה את הארץ הטובה אשר בעבר הירדן”. This Pasuk is describing Moshe Rabbenu’s strong desire to be allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara in Sotah (Daf 14a) asks, why did Moshe Rabbenu want to go to Eretz Yisrael so badly? Was it because he wanted to eat the produce of the land? For sure NOT! The Gemara answers that Moshe desired to go to Eretz Yisrael so strongly because there are so many Mitzvot that can only be performed in Eretz Yisrael. Moshe wanted his whole life to be able to do those Mitzvot that are exclusively done only in Eretz Yisrael.
However, Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky asks a question on that answer of the Gemara: what is the Gemara even thinking when it asks why does Moshe Rabbenu want to go to Eretz Yisrael? It should be clear to say that he wanted to go just for the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael? What’s the explanation of the Gemara’s question?
Rav Kaminetsky gives two possible answers to this question. The first is that it is possible to say that one is able to fulfill the Mitzvah of dwelling in Eretz Yisrael by settling on the “עבר הירדן” (The Transjordan). Hence, Moshe already fulfilled that Mitzvah. The second answer Rav Kaminetsky brings is that one can only fulfill the Mitzvah of dwelling in Israel if their Shevet has a portion in Eretz Yisrael. B’nei Levi didn’t have a portion in Eretz Yisrael so therefore Moshe was exempt from the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael.
I believe there is an unbelievable lesson that we learn here from Moshe Rabbenu. Even after Moshe was exempt from, or already fulfilling the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael, he still thirsted ardently to come to the land of Israel. Moshe’s desire to just be in Eretz Yisrael was so strong, merely out of his love for the Admat Kodesh (Holy Land). This is a lesson for us all who often take for granted the merit we’ve been given by Hashem to get to be in the land of Israel. May we all work on our appreciation for Eretz Yisrael and may we see the Geulah Shelaymah Bimhera B’yamenu!