Parshat Tzav/Parshat Zachor/Purim

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March 15, 2014 13 Adar II, 5774

Parshat Tzav/Parshat Zachor/Purim

contribution of an amount that you feel appropriate. The money which we will collect will be distributed to worthy causes. THE MITZVOT OF PURIM 1. The Reading of the Megilah day. When listening to the third blessing during the day, the blessing of shehechiyanu, we keep in mind that the blessing should apply to the other commandments appropriate for the day of Purim as well. Although the custom is to bang and make noise during the time when Haman's name is read, the commotion should be restrained so that everyone has a chance to hear every word of the Megilah. 2. The sending of Gifts Mishloach Manot During the day of Purim, each and every Jew is obligated to send to at least one friend two varieties of food needing no further preparation. There are many who practice this custom through the use of a messenger who delivers their packages and thus meticulously fulfill the mitzvah of "sending" rather than just giving. The sending of such packages is a wonderful way in which to celebrate the happiness and joy of Purim together with others in the community. Although a mourner is obligated to send these packages in fulfillment of the mitzvah, it is inappropriate to send to a mourner. The package may be sent to other members of the mourner's family though.

Each year on the day before Purim we observe the Fast of Esther. In a year when Purim falls out HAFTORAH on Sunday (as it does this Artscroll, 1214 Hertz, 995 year), we observe the fast on the previous Thursday. The fast commemorates BAR MITZVAH the fact that it was the JAMES HEISLER 13th day of Adar, the day before the battles against Haman and his supporters, Times and that the Jews fasted and prayed for success. Candle Lighting 6:42 pm This year the fast falls on Friday Mincha 6:40 pm Thursday, March 13. The fast begins at 5:48 am and Hashkama 8:00 am concludes at 7:33 pm.

The Megilah, which describes the Purim story, is read twice on Purim. The first reading occurs at night after the stars are visible and the second reading during the day. It is obligatory upon all men and women above Bar and Bat Mitzvah age to hear the reading of the Megilah both of these times. Accordingly, there are several readings in order to THE HALF SHEKEL accommodate everyone. It is our Parsha Shiur 8:30 am custom that one person serves Youth Minyan 8:30 am Beginning with mincha on as the reader of the Megilah and Taanit Esther (and through all others in the congregation fulfill their obligation through Main Minyan 9:00 am Purim morning) it is him. Therefore it is essential for customary to give Beit Midrash 9:15 am charitable contributions as each and every word of the Megilah to be properly heard by a symbolic remembrance Gemorah Shiur 5:35 pm of the money that was those listening to the reading. It collected from each Jew for is for that reason that idle Mincha 6:35 pm the Beit HaMikdash. That conversation is not permitted money is given in the form during the reading of the Megilah Shabbat Ends 7:51 pm of a half dollar in and an atmosphere of quiet commemoration of the half attentiveness is encouraged. The reading of the Megilah at night is shekel collected during preceded by three blessings. Temple times. Since the Sunday March 9 Both the reader and the word terumah is 7:00/8:00/9:00 am congregation stand for the mentioned three times in Mon., Thur. 6:35/7:45 am connection with this recitation of those blessings. donation, our minhag is to However, the congregation is Tues., Wed. Fri 6:45/7:45 am give three half dollars. seated for the actual reading of the Megilah. These same These coins will be Mincha 6:50 pm available for you, to be blessings are recited before the reading of the Megilah during the exchanged for a

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Next Shabbat Shemini Shabbat/Parah Candle Lighting Mincha 6:50 pm 6:50 pm

Kiddush and Bima Flowers are sponsored in honor of James Heisler's Bar Mitzvah by Grandparents Deena & Don Heisler, Martin & Shoshana Sokol and Doris & Jonathan Konovitch and Great-Grandmother, Margie Berger

Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Roya & Ben Shavolian in memory of his mother Hoori bat Dovid z"l.

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 3. Gifts to the Poor - Matanot La Evyonim On Purim day each and every Jew is obligated to give a charitable contribution to at least two poor people. Such contributions should be in accordance with our ability to give. If there are no poor people available on Purim day, the money should be set aside and specifically designated to be given to poor people as soon as possible.Our Synagogue participates in a campaign on Purim Day with several organizations that distribute money to the poor in Israel. You can fulfill the mitzvah of Matanot LaEvyonim through the Jack Hershkowitz Emergency Fund on Purim day. 4. The Purim Meal - Seudat Purim Customarily begun before sundown and continuing into the night following Purim there is an obligation to partake in a festive meal. Perhaps the best known component of this obligation is to celebrate the holiday until the point is reached when one can no longer distinguish between "Blessed is Mordechai" and "Cursed is Haman". If however this state of slight intoxication will lead to a neglecting of commandments and inappropriate behavior than one should certainly restrain oneself in that manner of celebration. It goes without saying that the obligation of personal safety overrides all else and therefore it is prohibited to drink in honor of Purim if one will be driving afterwards. Rabbi Frand on Parshas Tzav Double Entendre in the Word Among the sacrifices mentioned in this week's parsha is the Thanksgiving Offering. The Medrash says that in the future, all the sacrifices will be nullified, except the Thanksgiving Offering -- for there is always need to give thanks. Rav Yitzchok Hutner z"tl, makes a very interesting point. "Todah" [thanks] comes from the word "Hoda'ah", meaning giving thanks. However, the word "Hoda'ah" also means to admit (as in the expression Hoda'as ba'al din k'meah edim dami [An admission of a litigant is like one hundred witnesses]). Rav Hutner says that it is no coincidence that the word for thanking and the word for admitting are one and the same. In order for a person to give thanks, he must be able to admit that he needed help. The first step in being grateful to someone for doing something for you is the admission that you needed help and that you are not all powerful. Therefore, the Hebrew word for thanks and for admission are the same.

Shaabbat Announcements Parshat Tzav/Parshat Zachor/Purim 5774 How do we know whether the word "Hoda'ah" means admission or thanks? Rav Hutner says that we need to look at the preposition that comes after the word. The word "Hoda'ah" -- meaning admission -- is always followed by the Hebrew preposition '"sheh..." (that). The word "Hoda'ah" -meaning thanks -- is always followed by the Hebrew word "al ..." (for). We daven a Blessing of Modim in Shmoneh Esrei, called the Blessing of "Hoda'ah". How does it read? "Modim anachnu lach sheh..." This indicates, that the first thing we must do is not thank G-d, but admit to G-d that we are dependent on Him. Once we come to that understanding, then we can come to the end of the blessing where we say "Nodeh lecha... ...al..." -- We thank You for... Birkas HaHoda'ah is thus a two-stage blessing. It is a Hoda'ah of admission at the beginning which climaxes with a Hoda'ah of thanking at the end. I recently saw a beautiful insight in the Avudraham. When the Chazan says Modim, the congregation recites a prayer known as "The Rabbis' Modim". Why is that? The Avudraham says that for all blessings in the Shmoneh Esrei, we can have an agent. For 'Heal Us', for 'Bless Us with a Good Year', and so forth we can have a messenger -- the Shliach Tzibbur [the agent of the congregation] can say the blessing for us. However, there is one thing that no else one can say for us. We must say it for ourselves. That one thing is "Thank You". Hoda'ah must come from ourselves. No one can be our agent to say 'Thank You'.

GNSMARCHCHESEDCOLLECTION
Dontknowwhattodowithmedicalsupplies younolongerneed? DONATETHEM tohelpunderservedpeople,clinicsandhospitals InUS,Israel,Haiti,andAfrica March10 thMarch21st LEAVESUPPLIESBYFRONTDOOR: 13CHURCHSTREET GREATNECK WEARECOLLECTING: wheelchairs,canes,walkers,commodes,eyeglasses, bandages,cribs,drains,tubing,facemasks,gloves, catheters,IVkits,soap,autoclaves,showerseats,raised toiletseats,hospitalbeds,crutches,sutures,braces,etc. NOPRESCRIPTIONMEDSNOPOSTEXPIRATIONDATES Donationswillbedistributedby: www.afyafoundation.org FORMOREINFO,CALLNechama5167733572

Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program 26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck , NY 11023 Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Zehava & Dr. Michael Atlas, Youth Directors Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Dr. Scott Danoff, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board Dena Block, Yoetzet Halacha 516-320-9818

ANNOUNCEMENTS
ONGOING CLASSES Rabbi Polakoffs Thursday morning Ladies Shiur and the Power Chumash Shiur will continue to take place. Rabbi Lichter will be teaching both classes. YOUTH SNACKS are sponsored by Miriam Oshry in honor of her children.

WITHIN THE FAMILY Mazal Tov to Erica Zucker Heisler and Eliot Heisler on the Bar Mitzvah of their son James and siblings, Amanda, Jason and Chloe. Mazal Tov to grandparents, Deena & Don Heisler, Martin & Shoshana Sokol and Doris & Jonathan Konovitch and to Great-Grandmother, Margie Berger.

WOMENS TEFILA Join Women's Tefila for Davening and Megilah reading Sunday morning 9 am in the Beit Midrash. For more information please contact Nechama Liss-levinson. MARCH 22 LUNCHEON WITH DAVID HARRIS Please make your reservations for the Family Luncheon with David Harris of the American Jewish Comm. for Shabbat NEW CLASS FOR WOMEN Lunch on March 22. See page three for more details. Wed. at 8pm Rabbi Cohen-Scali's Insightful parsha class for the Refuah Shleimah of Rabbi TEHILLIM Polakoff will be given at GNS in the Chalfin room. Rabbi Polakoff is improving daily, but is still in need of our Tehillim. If you would like to be part of a group that says Tehillim at home for his Refuah, please let Cindy know. In order GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE PRESENTS that we cover all of the chapters, you will get an assignment SUNDAY MORNING SUNRISE that you should say daily, until he is no longer needing our Sunday, Apr., 6 all middle school boys grades 6-8. Shacharit: Tefilot. Please let Cindy know ASAP if you want to be part of the 8:30 ambreakfast/Class 9:10-10:00 am. Rabbi Daniel group so that we can get started right away. Cindy Hodkin: Schwechter. Dates: 4/27, 5/4, 5/18, 6/1, 6/8. koshercookinggn@gmail.com MARCH CHESED From March 10-March 21, Billy and Nechama Liss-Levinson will be collecting new and used medical equipment for the AFYA Foundation (www.afyafoundation.org) All medical supplies will be used in clinics serving underserved populations in Africa, Haiti, the Philippines and Israel. Leave supplies by front door:13 Church St. We are collecting: wheel chairs, canes, walkers, commodes, eyeglasses, bandages, cribs, drains, tubing, face masks, gloves, catheters, IV kits, soap, autoclaves, shower seats, raised toilet seats, hospital beds, crutches, sutures, braces, etc. No prescription drugs, no post expiration dates. For more info please call Nechama 516-773-3572. MEN'S CLUB SUN., March 30, 10:00 am: After many years, we are pleased to have Rabbi Marvin Tokayer return to GNS. He is an interesting and dynamic speaker and he will be speaking on his favorite topic, "Jewish Heroes of Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia". All welcome. SUN., April 27. 8:00am - 1:00pm: Please mark your calendars for the next semi-annual BLOOD DRIVE. There is a demand for blood on Long Island and you can make a difference by donating on Sunday April 27. PASS IT FORWARD Has experienced an unexpected increase in demand for Pesach meals. We will be purchasing all of the food to be distributed, which includes 2 Seder meals, a Seder plate and Pesach essentials for each family. Monetary contributions would be appreciated. Please make checks payable to GNS with a notation that it is for Pass it Forward. Any questions, contact Cindy Hodkin at koshercookinggn@gmail.com SIYUM BECHORIM The Siyum this year is available for sponsorship. Any interested party should contact Mark Twersky in the Synagogue office for details. Volunteers needed to perform the siyum. JERUSALEM MARATHON Maxine Wiesenfeld, Daniel Rabizadeh, Amalia Kaufman and Alex Hollander will be running with TEAM SHALVA in the Jerusalem Marathon. Alex is undertaking this project in memory of his aunt, Sharon Sokol Heisler and grandmother, Judith Sokol who both faced tremendous challenges in their last years of life. He is also participating in this mitzvah in honor of his father Robert Hollander. No amount is too small! All donations are tax deductable. You can sponsor any of these runners by going to the following link:http://www.run4shalva.org/ sponsor.php. SAVE THE NEW DATE: The NSHA Annual Journal Dinner celebrating its 59th year will take place on Monday evening, May 19th at Citi Field honoring Stephanie & Ruvane Vilinsky, Hannah K. Flamenbaum & Charles W. Segal and Sassoun Sassouni. Those wishing to place an ad, make a reservation or serve on the dinner committee, please contact Arnie Flatow at aflatow@nsha.org or call the Business Office at 487-868 ext 2.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 13 Adar II Elliot Diamond for Louis Diamond Harvey Kaylie for Tess Kaylie David Lax for Sara Leah Lax Sunday, 14 Adar II Sam Yehaskel for Moise Algava Tuesday, 16 Adar II Frank Bachrach for Lotte Bachrach Peter Epstein for Ann Epstein Thursday, 18 Adar II Ben Shavolian for Hoori Shavolian Mervin Verbit for Yetta Verbit Friday, 19 Adar II Brenda Parver for Sol Altman