Parshat Vayelech Schedule

Shabbat Schedule

Friday, September 21

  • 06:40 am – Shacharit
  • 06:20 pm – Mincha
  • 06:24 pm – Candle lighting

Saturday, September 22

  • 07:45 am – Shacharit at Salem Towers
  • 08:45 am – Shacharit
  • 09:34 am – Latest time for Kriat Shema
  • 10:30 am – Jr. Congregation
  • 11:15 am – Kiddush

The Rabbi will deliver the Shabbat Shuva sermon at Salem Towers prior to the Mussaf service, and at Beth Israel West following Kiddush.

  • 05:15 pm – Men’s Derech Hashem class
  • 06:00 pm – Mincha and Se’udah Shlishit
  • 07:20 pm – Ma’ariv
  • 07:31 pm – Shabbat Ends

Ten Days of Repentance Schedule

Sunday, September 23

  • 08:00 am – Shacharit and Selichot
  • 06:15 pm – Mincha
  • 06:45 pm – Maariv

Monday, September 24

  • 06:40 am – Shacharit and Selichot
  • 06:15 pm – Mincha
  • 06:45 pm – Maariv

Yom Kippur Schedule

Tuesday, September 25 – Erev Yom Kippur

  • 06:40 am – Selichot
  • 06:50 am – Shacharit
  • 02:30 pm – Mincha – Please make every effort to be at shul for the early Mincha.
  • 05:35 pm – 2nd Mincha

Note: Kol Nidre will begin promptly at 6:20 pm!

If there are not ten men at the second Mincha early enough to finish the service on time, the second Mincha minyan will be suspended, and anyone who has not yet davened mincha will have to do so individually.

  • 06:17 pm – Candle Lighting

For those unable to light at home, candles will be available at the shul. We are not permitted to light candles after sunset, at 6:35 pm.

  • 06:20 pm – Kol Nidre
  • 06:35 pm – Yom Kippur Begins

Wednesday, September 26 – Yom Kippur

  • 08:00 am – Shacharit
  • 09:36 am – Latest time for Kriat Shema
  • 11:30 am – Yizkor
  • 04:40 pm – Mincha
  • 06:10 pm – Ne’ilah
  • 07:25 pm – Ma’ariv
  • 07:25 pm – Fast Ends

Everyone should remain for the Ma’ariv service

Weekly Schedule

Thursday, September 27

  • 06:40 am – Shacharit
  • 06:15 pm – Mincha
  • 06:45 pm – Maariv

Friday, September 28

  • 06:50 am – Shacharit

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

A Fitting Farewell

Insights into Parshat Vayelech of Mr. Aaron B. Buechler of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Yeshivat Sha’alvim.

While facing imminent death one would likely choose to spend his final minutes with his wife and children. Yet Moshe decided to address the nation for a final farewell. Moshe elected to spend his last days on Earth being the only person he knew how to be, a leader who put the concerns of others before his personal needs. This teaches us not only a final lesson about our faithful leader’s genuine character, but also passing on a true message about what Judaism really means.

As B’nai Yisrael eagerly listened, hanging on to each and every word Moshe uttered, they were struck with the classical feelings of bittersweet sentiment. On one hand Moshe, their fearless leader, was about to depart from this world forever. Yet on the flip side the message he chose to leave with them was one of optimism, the commanding of final two mitzvot, passing on the torch of leadership to his distinctive disciple Yehoshua, and concluding comments of chizuk. Moshe reminded the nation that HaShem would deliver their enemies into their hands, that they would be successful in all their future endeavors, and he tells them to be strong, courageous, and to keep their heads held high as they enter uncharted territory. He beseeches them to remember their brit with HaShem and reminds them that HaShem will never let them fall, for the brit of the avot will shield them from all harm.

Amidst his definitive diatribe Moshe reveals what according to the Sefer HaChinnuch are the final two mitzvot in the Torah; the mitzvot of hakhel and that of writing a sefer torah. It appears to be peculiar as to why these are the final two mitzvot. Of all the 613 mitzvot what makes these two unique enough to be the conclusive commandments?

Perhaps the answer lies in the nature of both the mitzvot and the moment at hand. Moshe after living an interesting life split between forty years as a prince, forty years as a nomad, and a final forty years as the greatest leader known to man was staring the malach ha’mavet in the eye. He, after 120 fascinating years, was straddling the fence between life and death; he had the proverbial foot on the stairway to heaven. Yet while he stood there on Earth and looked in every direction what did he see? He saw Am Yisrael, the nation he watched over and shepparded for forty precarious, stressful, mesmerizing years through the wilderness, standing before him. As far as the eye could see there were thousands of Jewish men, women, and children soaking in his every word. What a sight, the entire Jewish nation coming together literally standing as an “ish echad, b’lev echad” surrounding their leader one last time as he bid them farewell. This breathtaking scene led to Moshe teaching the mitzvah of hakhel, commanding B’nai Yisrael to gather on Chag Ha’Succot after the shmeittah cycle and listen as the king would read Sefer Devarim. This need for national unity, the need to gather together as a single united nation once every seven years is an incredible thought. To see the millions of Jews travel from far and wide, across the globe and ascend to the Beit HaMikdash to listen as the king reads HaShem’s Torah for all to hear is an astonishing thought. Just the sight of 93,000 Jews descending upon MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ for Siyum Ha’Shas was undoubtedly a moment that all those in attendance will never forget. Now take that 93,000 and add another thirteen million or so humans to that unforgettable scene and instead of Siyum Ha’Shas picture Melech Yisrael as he reads Sefer Devarim to all of Am Yisrael in the Beit HaMikdash! Now imagine that moment of unity, the picture of perfection amidst Am Yisrael as they assemble as a single, undivided nation, in the house of HaShem to listen and learn Torah together.

It is no wonder why this mitzvah is the second to last one in the Torah. As Moshe stood there watching the Jewish Nation stand as one he knew that this was a moment of power, a moment that could bring about change, change within the individual, and change within the nation as a whole. The idea of B’nai Yisrael gathering as one every eighth year is a proposal of significant potential; it remains a moment that would undoubtedly inspire the lives of all those present. This inspiration would lead them to perform the final mitzvah of writing a sefer torah, and with that torah they could carry themselves another seven years until they congregate again.

It was with this vision that Moshe leaves B’nai Yisrael with a message of chizuck, he reminds them of their brit with HaShem, and of how HaShem will watch over and protect them, and then he gives the nation these final two mitzvot, one a national mitzvah and one being an individual mitzvah. It is with this final farewell that we see the essence of Judaism; Judaism is not merely about the individual, it shows us that there would be no Judaism without the nation, what use would there be for us having 613 mitzvot if we didn’t have one another. Moshe is teaching us this invaluable lesson of chizuk and the message of unity as he steps into a whole new world, leaving us behind standing in awe as one.