Parshiyot Vayakhel Pekudei Shabbat HaChodesh March 13, 2010 27 Adar 5770

Rabbi Frand on the Parsha

Torah The Talmud states: "There are have been sufficient to provide just one them..." [Shmos 35:1]. The
Artscroll, 516
Hertz, 373 three things that the Almighty tribe. Bezalel could have done the job section ends some twenty
Himself proclaims: Famine alone. With his G-d given talents, he pasukim later with the words:
Maftir
Artscroll, 348 (ra'av), Abundance (sovah), and did not need a partner. Nonetheless, the "The entire assembly of Israel left
Hertz, 253 a good leader (parnas Medrash emphasizes that the Mishkan Moshe's presence." [Shmos
Haftorah tov)." [Berachos 55a]. The had to be built by two tribes. 35:20] Moshe told them what he
Artscroll, 1218 Gemara cites pasukim [verses] to needed to tell them and everyone
Hertz, 1001 Rav Chaim Zaytchik, zt"l, writes that
prove each of these points. The left.
Mevorchim Chodesh
this Medrash allows us to better
pasuk [verse] cited to prove that
Nisan understand the previously cited If this was a Talmudic passage,
the Almighty Himself proclaims
Molad Monday 3:11:13pm Gemara that labeled Bezalel as a the Gemara would analyze it,
Rosh Chodesh Tuesday a good leader is the pasuk from
'parnas tov.' There are many people asking, "This is obvious – what is
Parshas Vayakhel: "See, Hashem
Bar Mitzvah who are interested in getting involved the Torah telling us?" It goes
Bailey Greszes has proclaimed by name, Bezalel
in communal work as long as they will without saying that if Moshe
son of Uri son of Chur, of the
have the spotlight by themselves. They Rabbeinu summoned them to
tribe of Yehudah." [Shmos
Times are in it so that when the job gets done, deliver a message, that when he
35:30].
they will be able to say: "Look, what was through delivering that
Candle lighting 5:40 pm Bezalel was the general I've done!" But if you ask them to be a message they would all walk out.
Mincha 5:40 pm contractor, so to speak, behind co-chairman, to share the job and Why does the Torah that never
the construction of the Mishkan. responsibilities, and as such, to share wastes words need to include
Hashkama 8:00 am He perhaps had artistic ability. the limelight and glory, they say -- pasuk 20 at the conclusion of the
Youth 8:30 am He was a good organizer. He "under those circumstances, I am not narration?
was talented. But it is strange interested."
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am Rav Elya Lopian says that the
that the Gemara refers to him as
The Almighty is looking for people pasuk is teaching that when the
Main Minyan 9:00 am a 'parnas tov'. Where do we see
who work lishma [altruistically]. He Jews walked away from Moshe
leadership qualities in Bezalel?
Beit Midrash 9:15 am wants people who are interested in Rabbeinu, it was evident that they
He succeeded in getting the job
efforts for the Sake of Heaven, not for had been in the presence of a
Gemorah Shiur 4:35pm done under budget and on time -
the sake of an ego trip. The true test of Moshe Rabbeinu. One does not
– he was a good general
Mincha 5:35 pm a person's motive is whether he will spend time in the presence of a
contractor. But in what sense
tolerate a partner. Therefore, the first great Jewish leader without
Shabbat Ends 6:50 pm does that make him a good
test that the Ribono shel Olam gave having an indelible impression
leader (parnas tov)?
Sunday, March 14 7:30/8:30 am Bezalel -– to see whether he was the left upon him. Certainly this is
The Yalkut Shimoni on this man for the job -– was to assign him a true immediately after the
Mon., & Thurs. 6:35 am week's parsha contains the co-chairman. "I want you to work with encounter. Often the impression
Tues., Rosh 6:30 am following teaching: During the someone, with someone who is not lasts a lifetime.
Chodesh building of the Mishkan, two even from the prestigious tribe of
The pasuk "The entire assembly
tribes had a partnership -– the Yehudah, but from the "lowly" Tribe
Wed., & Fri. 6:45 am of Israel left Moshe's presence"
tribe of Yehudah (as represented of Dan. In accepting this partner,
Second Shacharit teaches that the impression was
by Bezalel) and the tribe of Dan Bezalel showed us how to be a leader
Minyan (Daily) 7:45 am "written on their faces" and they
(as represented by Oholiav ben (parnas tov).
were a changed people because
Mincha (week of 6:50 pm Achisamach) had a partnership.
Why State The Obvious? they spent time with a Moshe
March 14th) Why did they need two tribes for
The Parsha begins "And Moshe Rabbeinu. Rav Elya explains that
the project? In truth, G-d did not
Late Maariv 8:15 pm assembled the entire assembly of the when we see someone staggering
Mon-Thurs need anyone to build the
Children of Israel and said to drunk on the street and we ask
Mishkan, but it certainly would
ourselves "where was he?" the
Latest times for
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei Kiddush & Bima Flowers Seudah Shlishit
in the Beit Midrash Is sponsored by
March 13th 9:06/10:07 am Lisa & Alan Adler
are sponsored by Grandparents
In memory of his parents
March 20th 10:00:/11:01 am Sarita & Ben Greszes and Sharon Frankel Bella & Murray Adler
Next Shabbat– Vayikra in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of And by
Bailey Greszes Anida & Ed Rosman
Candle lighting 6:47 pm In memory of his mother
and the Bat Mitzvah of
Flora Rosman
Mincha 6:50 pm Emma Greszes
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100
answer is obvious. He was in a bar getting drunk.
So too, when we see a person who was in the presence of a Moshe
Rabbeinu, it is evident where the person was. He was in the presence
of holiness. Such is the influence of any environment. When one is in
a holy environment, when one is in the presence of a holy
congregation, when one is with spiritually great individuals, it makes
an impression and it makes a difference. And the opposite is true as
well.
The Ponevitzer Rav, of Blessed and Holy memory, once offered a
great interpretation to a Medrash in Parshas Toldos: Yosef Meshisa
was a despicable Jew. He was a traitor to his people. When it came
time destroy the Temple, the Gentile invaders were afraid to walk
into the Holy Sanctuary. They picked a Jew to walk in first and
betray his G-d. Who did they pick? They picked this low-life Yosef
Meshisha. They told him to go in to the Temple and as a reward, he
could take anything he wanted for himself. He went in and took out
the Golden Menorah. When the Gentiles saw what he took, they told
him that this was too great a prize for a commoner. They told him
that he could go back in and take something else that was more
appropriate. This time they promised that he could keep whatever he
found.
However, he refused to go in a second time. They offered him a
bonus. If he went in a second time, they would give him all the
collected tax from Judea for the next 3 years. He still refused. "Is it
not sufficient that I angered my G-d once, should I anger Him a
second time?" They tortured him until he died, but he refused to go
back in.
The Ponevitzer Rav asked – what happened to Yosef Meshisa? This
was the traitor whom the Gentiles picked as being the most likely Jew
to do their bidding in desecrating the Temple. He already went in and
stole the Menorah. Now he suddenly became a Ba'al Teshuva and
refused to ever do it again, despite the offer of riches and despite the
torturing. What happened to him?
The Ponnevitzer Rav explained what happened to him. He was in the
Beis HaMikdash for two minutes. He was never the same again. The
influence of being in a Holy Place for two minutes changed his life.
If a person is exposed to radiation, he doesn't smell it; he doesn't feel
it; two minutes of exposure can change his whole body. Likewise,
one can be exposed to kedusha [holiness] for two minutes and
become a different person.
That is what this pasuk is teaching us. The congregation left the
presence of Moshe... but they were not the same anymore. They were
not the same Jews because they had been in the presence of a great
man. Being in the presence of a great man, or even being in the
presence of a holy place -– a Beis Medrash, a Beis Knesses [House of
Study; House of Prayer], being in Eretz Yisroel [the Land of Israel]
can change a person's life.
This is why environment, friends, and community are so important.
Such is the power of holiness. It can change a person forever.
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program
Dale Polakoff, Rabbi
Shalom Axelrod, Assistant Rabbi
Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus
Michael Bleicher, Rabbinic Intern
Zeev Kron, Cantor
Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus
Mark Twersky, Executive Director
Howard Silberstein, President
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
Shabbat Announcements Parshiyot Vayakhel Pekudei Shabbat HaChodesh 5770
Parshat HaChodesh
"This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for
you the first of the months of the year." (Shemot 12:2)
On the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, or on Rosh Chodesh if it
falls on the Shabbat, two Torah Scrolls are removed from the
Ark. From the first, the Sidrah of the week is read, and from the second,
the Maftir, in this case, the passage giving the commandments
associated with the very first Rosh Chodesh Nissan in Egypt, is read.
The first day of Nissan was and always remains a historic day for the
Jewish nation. It was the day when the people received their first
commandment as a nation: Sanctify the New Moon.
This ritual has a profound spiritual and historic significance. It is
noteworthy that it was one of three commandments that the Syrian
Greeks, in the time before the Chanukah miracle, attempted to nullify by
force. The other two were the Observance of Shabbat and Circumcision.
Clearly, therefore, Israel's enemies understood that the sanctification of
the New Moon was basic to the existence of Israel as a nation of Torah.
Commentators explain that, by virtue of this Commandment, G-d gave
the Jewish people mastery over time. From that moment onward, the
calendar with its cycle of festivals could exist only when the Sages of
Israel declared the New Month. This signifies more than control over
the reckoning of time, the dating of legal documents, and all the
banalities to which man is subject in his everyday life. It represents the
potential for renewal.
The Jewish people is symbolized by the moon because, although the
moon wanes, it waxes as well. It stands for hope, for the confidence that
there is a future as well as a past. This vibrancy assures that any
conquest of the Jewish people can never be more than temporary. Israel
may seem to disappear from the panorama of history - but so does the
moon.
The moon returns - and Israel, by means of the power vested in it by the
Torah, sanctifies the New Month. So, too, the nation constantly renews
its vigor, constantly defies the laws of history that insist it should have
long since become extinct, constantly demonstrates its ability to make
itself the vehicle for the prophecies of redemption and a greater spiritual
Important Notice
It has been brought to our attention that not
everyone is aware that there is an automatic
external defibrulator (AED) available on the
synagogue premises. We would like to
remind everyone that the AED is located on the
wall opposite the Youth Center, and is clearly
marked. It is available in case of emergency and
can be used by medical professionals and/or
those with special training.
In case of emergency please remember that the
Security Guards located outside each front door
can call emergency services and are in contact
with the Nassau County Police Department.
 SAVE THE DATE! SAVE THE DATE! SAVE THE DATE!

YOM HASHOAH COMMEMORATION

Great Neck Synagogue Premier of
FOUR SEASONS LODGE
Award winning documentary that follows the lives of holocaust survivors each summer
at their beloved bungalow colony as they celebrate their survival.

Two survivors featured in the movie

will be on hand to answer questions after the screening.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
9:15 pm

Brief Synopsis

In an inspiring and startlingly funny documentary, FOUR SEASONS LODGE

follows a group of Holocaust survivors during what might be their final summer
together at a bungalow colony in the Catskill Mountains.
Directed by New York Times journalist Andrew Jacobs, with beautiful
cinematography by a team of filmmakers including Albert Maysles, the verite
film explores the power of friendship and the drive to find joy despite painful
memories. It is a counterintuitive Holocaust documentary: a fusion of ribald
humor, stories of unimaginable loss, the last of the Borscht Belt crooners, and a family made entirely of friends
and lovers. The characters dance, flirt, and fight as the fate of their community hangs in the balance.

GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE

is again pleased to serve its membership with
the sale of Hand Baked SHMURAH MATZAH
Pick-up for Matzah will be on
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010
Between 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm
All orders must be prepaid
Please make checks payable to
GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE
All orders must be received before MARCH 23, 2010
Limited Supply. Please order early
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Order Form

Name_________________________________________

Address_______________________________________

Telephone (Home)__________(Bus.)_______________

_____lb. Shmurah Matzah @ $18.50 per lb.________

Check Enclosed for Total Cost______

 **REMEMBER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS ONE HOUR AHEAD**
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUNDAY BREAKFAST
Sunday Breakfast is sponsored by Joseph Farajian in memory of his
mother Sara bat Yehuda.
YOUTH SNACKS
This week’s youth snacks are sponsored by Diane & David Rein in
honor of their daughter Sophia’s 7th birthday.
PASSOVER FOOD COLLECTION
Are you shopping for Passover? The GNS Hunger Initiative and
Sisterhood request donations of canned and packaged Passover foods.
Please bring them to the Sisterhood Passover Bazaar on March 10th or
drop donations off at the GNS office. Thank you very much for your
kindness and generosity to help those in need.
INTERMEDIATE MINYAN
The monthly Intermediate Minyan will meet April 10, May 8th and
June 19th. The Minyan includes explanation of the tefilot and the
Torah reading through interactive discussion during the service,
communal singing, with a class following the service. We look forward
to having you join us.
SAVE THE DATE
On March 9th at 10am there will be a Combined Sisterhood Meeting at
Temple Emanuel (in the Atrium) to plan the combined Sisterhood
Luncheon and Boutique on Tuesday May 4th at Temple Emanuel.
SAVE-THE DATE:
The North Shore Hebrew Academy's 55th Annual Scholarship
Dinner will take place on Sunday, March 21st at 5pm. The honorees
are the Orthodox Rabbis of Great Neck Community including our own
‘Moreh D’asreh, Rabbi Dale Polakoff. Everyone is invited to join
together with the Academy as it honors our esteemed Rabbis. Those
wishing to make a reservation and/or contribute to the schools’
scholarship funds, and be listed in the scroll of honor which will be
presented to the Rabbi, please call Arnie Flatow, Executive Director,
at 487-8687 ext 133 or email at aflatow@nsha.org.
GNS MEN’S CLUB
Sunday, March 21st, MK Tzippy Hotovely, Likud party, Israel’s
youngest member of Knesset, head of Committee on the Status of
Women is speaking at GNS on “The Need for Greater Zionist
Education in Israel and the Diaspora” and giving an update on the
current political situation in the Middle East with reference to President
Obama’s policies. She will be accompanied by Ahron Pulver of the
Israel Independence Fund.
SISTERHOOD PRE-PESACH BAZAAR
On Wednesday evening, March 10th from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, the
Sisterhood will be having a Pre-Pesach Bazaar at GNS for all your
Passover shopping needs. There will also be food tasting by Everfresh
and wine tasting by Little Neck Wine and Liquor. We are grateful to
Anida Rosman for organizing this wonderful event. We need
volunteers to help us that evening - kindly email drein@verizon.net if
you can help! Thank you!
SCHOLARS KOLLEL NEWS
Davening will begin at 7:45 am, on Friday and will be followed with
"Breakfast with Rabbi Frand." Rabbi Frand's Thursday night shiur
will be shown in its entirety. See Steve Zuckerman for sponsorships.
SOKOL HEISLER FAMILY LUNCHEON
Save the date for the Annual Sharon Sokol Heisler
Family Luncheon Saturday, April 17th. Mort Klein,
President of the ZOA will be the featured speaker.
Details to follow.
GNS MEMBER DIRECTORY
The GNS Member Directory has arrived (and well worth the wait!).
It contains the addresses and phone numbers of our members,
as well as a lot of other important information.
It’s in loose-leaf format, allowing for the easy changing of pages
as information changes. And, it is now available to our members
– but only one copy per household. We cannot mail the directory,
so to get your copy please come to the synagogue office during
business hours. The directory can only be distributed to those who
are current in all of their synagogue obligations.
WITHIN OUR FAMILY
Mazal Tov to Ina & Isaac Greszes on the Bar Mitzvah of their son
Bailey and the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter Emma. Mazal Tov also to
grandparents Sarita & Ben Greszes and Sharon Frankel.
Mazal Tov to Judy & Abe Soleimani on the birth of their
granddaughter, born to their children Elana & David Aminoff.
Mazal Tov to Ruth & Mel Klapper on the birth of a great-
granddaughter born to their grandchildren Amanda & Alon Waltuch.
Mazal Tov to Yaffa & Avraham Gabbaizadeh on the upcoming
marriage of his son Ariel to Fabian Sameiach.
Mazal Tov to Sharon & Moti Ahdut on the Bat Mitzvah of their
daughter Laura.
LOST
Black Canon G-10 camera was misplaced Purim evening filled with family
photos, videos and precious memories. Please return to the Synagogue
office if found, no questions asked.
A long, hanging, thin pink-gold earring with tiny diamonds was lost on
Purim (Saturday evening). If found please return to the Synagogue office.
HUNGER INITIATIVE
Thanks to the Long Island Hebrew Academy for donating all their leftover
Purim baskets to the Hunger Initiative. Thanks to all who donated for
Purim and special thanks to Sharon & Eddie Mazur who collected and
distributed the food collected.
AM HASEFER
Tuesday March 9th, at 7:45 pm, David Kushner author of “Levittown”
will be here to talk about his book.
MIKLAT
Great Neck friends of Miklat cordially invites you to a culinary event on
Tuesday March 9th, featuring Jamie Geller author of “Quick and Kosher,
Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing” Please join them at 7:30pm at
the home of Davida Yehaskel, 9 Willow Lane.
The family of Irving Weingarten wish to express their sincerest thanks and
appreciation to Rabbi Polakoff, Cantor Kron and to our synagogue family for
their loving support, comfort and generous contributions in Irving’s memory.
Saturday, 27 Adar
Alan Adler for Murray Adler
Alan Adler for Bella Adler
Leslie Kahn for Sam Krawchuk
Hilda Schulman for Cantor Leible Trainer
Aaron Seligson for Hyman Seligson
Lawrenece Sneag for Esther Sneag
Sunday, 28 Adar
Joan Katz for Frank Sadinoff
Y Richard Lillien for Frances Engelhard
Yaffa Lukash for Lou Schwartz
A Sadinoff Family for Frank Sadinoff
H Monday, 29 Adar
Nadine Eckstein for Lila Gittleman
R Sidney Halitzer for Frieda Sugarman
Hilda Schulman for Eleazor Schulman
Z Frederick Shaw for Selma Shaw
E Tuesday, 1 Nisan
Edwin Frederick for Charles Frederick
I Henry Katz for Erna Katz
Carol Adamsky for Gloria Adamsky Berger
T Edwin Rosman for Flora Rosman
Elaine Wolf for Arnold Wolf
Wednesday, 2 Nisan
Jacqueline Hott for Louis Hott
Al Leiderman for Anna Leiderman
Paymen Rabiei for Junjan Bat Mashala
Thursday, 3 Nisan
Sharon Goldwyn for Frances Kessler
Susan Kaufman for Marvin Goldsmith
Pauline Loewenstein for Harry Loewenstein
Kenneth Magida for Rachel Bilsky
Friday, 4 Nisan
Frank Buchsbaum for Nicolas Buchsbaum
Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Sarah Gabbaizadeh
Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Yehuda Gabbaizadeh
Hannah Kleinberg for Rose Gross
Pia Shlomo for David Spilky