E-TORAH
NOVEMBER 7th – 9 CHESHVAN
CANDLE LIGHTING 4:19 PM
SHABBOS ENDS 5:20 PM
Friday Night Live! This week, 7:00 PM, is Friday Night Live! Come & Bring Your Friends For A Special Evening of Delicious Food, Great discussions, Socializing, and More.
New Women’s Class We are pleased to announce the start of a new weekly class for women, Monday 8-9 P.M. At the home of Mrs. Pessy Notik 2749 W North Shore Ave, in Chicago. The Class will be on the weekly Torah Portion, Come and spend the evening with other women, & girls, Refreshments will be served. For more information or to host a class in the future please email [email protected]
Torah Studies! Join our new and exciting class entitled Seeking Perfection. This 12 part series goes through the book of Breishis (Genesis) a Journey into the Soul of the Weekly Torah Portion.Classes are held every Wednesday Evening 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM @ FREE of Chicago.
After his monumental victory over the four kings in this week's Torah portion, Lech Lecha, G‑d promises our forefather Abraham: "Fear not, Abram...your reward shall be exceedingly great." Rashi, the great Torah commentator, explains that Abraham was worried that the victory was the entire reward for his righteousness. "Do not worry," G‑d assured him, "Your reward will be exceedingly great."
G‑d's promise of further reward seems odd. For we are told that Abraham served the Creator out of love, for its own sake, untinged by ulterior motives, even the promise of spiritual gain. Maimonides explained this type of service as: "(One who) engages in Torah and mitzvot...not for the sake of the good it brings, but...because it is truth." This type of service, Maimonides continues, was best characterized by Abraham, "who only served G‑d with love."
Why, then, was Abraham so concerned with his reward that G‑d had to personally reassure him? Similarly, in our Torah portion, G‑d urges Abraham to leave the country of his birth, promising that "I will make your name great." Surely Abraham was uninterested in personal glory!
Abraham considered himself "dust and ashes"--merely a tool to be utilized by G‑d for whatever purpose He saw fit. Abraham's only goal in life was to sanctify G‑d's name, to bring as many people as he could to recognize the Creator of the world. The mention of Abraham's name caused G‑d's name to be sanctified; personal recognition and renown were of no consequence to Abraham himself. G‑d's promise served to reassure Abraham that his efforts to that end would be met with success.
Abraham's concern with reward may also be understood in the same light. Abraham was interested in material compensation only insofar as it served to show others that the worship of G‑d is something to be desired, bringing benefit to those who serve Him. Tangible reward for righteousness would offer inducement to those with whom Abraham came into contact and endeavored to influence.
For this reason, Abraham worried that a lack of tangible reward might be misconstrued as weakness, G‑d forbid, on the part of the Creator. If people saw a righteous man such as Abraham lacking, how could they be convinced that his path was just?
This also explains why a Jew is encouraged to keep the Torah's commandments even if his motivation is purely personal, falling short of the ideal of "for its own sake": Although the body may be interested solely in physical reward, the Jewish soul rejoices when material blessing causes G‑d's name to be publicly sanctified, just as in the case of our Patriarch Abraham.
Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
In the Tunisia of old, it was customary for the "Bey," the supreme ruler of the country, to personally appoint all nominees to public positions. This included all posts within the Jewish community.
One time the Chief Rabbi of Tunisia passed away, and the vacancy needed to be filled. The Chief Rabbi held an extremely crucial position, as many important powers were invested in him. As the official head of the Jewish community, he represented all of Tunisia's Jews in the secular courts, and his word carried much weight.
At the time of the Chief Rabbi's passing, Rabbi Nehorai Germon was serving as his assistant. In most cases it was only a matter of form for the assistant to be promoted. This time, however, there were forces within the Jewish community who opposed Rabbi Nehorai's promotion.
On the one hand, Rabbi Nehorai was easy to get along with, modest and unassuming. Yet when it came to upholding the Torah's laws and Jewish customs, he was absolutely rigid and fearlessly unbending. To some people, this was untenable. What they sought was a Chief Rabbi who wouldn't be a stickler for detail, someone who would know when to look away...
And so, a delegation of protesters went to the Bey. "He's much too fanatical," they told him. "Under no circumstances should Rabbi Nehorai become the next Chief Rabbi." The Bey was very receptive to their message. Soon rumors were flying that Rabbi Nehorai was no longer in the running.
It was precisely then that Rabbi Nehorai's inner strength and fortitude was revealed. As our Sages put it, "Wherever there is humility, there is also greatness." Overcoming his natural aversion to self-promotion, the rabbi realized that he could not in good conscience simply withdraw from the fray. The dignity and reputation of the Chief Rabbinate demanded more of him.
Rabbi Nehorai went to the royal palace. He asked the palace guards to be admitted but was informed that he would have to wait his turn. Stubbornly, Rabbi Nehorai refused to budge, demanding an immediate audience with the Bey. A commotion ensued, the angry sounds of which reached the ears of the Bey himself.
The Bey sent an aide outside to see what was going on. Quickly sizing up the situation, he returned to the Bey and explained that the assistant to the former Chief Rabbi was insisting on speaking to him. The Bey was surprised by the Jew's agressive behavior, but instructed that he be brought in.
"Why was it so urgent to meet with me that you defied all social conventions?" the Bey asked Rabbi Nehorai, an artificial smile on his face.
Rabbi Nehorai was not intimidated. "If all the conventions were being adhered to," he replied seriously, "I would not have had to come here."
"What do you mean?" the Bey asked, his curiosity aroused.
"When affairs of state are attended to fairly, the assistant to the Chief Rabbi is automatically promoted to the office upon his death..."
The Bey stopped smiling. "From all the information I have received about you," he said, "it appears that you are too inflexible for the job, wedded to what you perceive as inviolate principles. It is said that you are unwilling to compromise for the sake of peace. In my opinion, a successful Chief Rabbi must know when to keep his eyes open and when to shut them..."
Rabbi Nehorai did not react, seemingly ignoring the Bey's words. "What a beautiful garden you have," he said suddenly, looking out the window at the magnificently manicured palace grounds. "I've never seen one more beautiful."
"It is unparalleled in all of Tunisia," the Bey responded, unable to resist the compliment.
"If I may be so bold," the rabbi said, "it seems to me that if a lush garden like this will grow only here, of all places in the entire kingdom, surely it is a sign that G‑d smiles favorably on your kingship."
The Bey almost laughed. "If everyone in the kingdom employed as many skilled horticulturists as I do, their land would also yield the same results. My gardeners are extremely vigilant, busy from dawn till dusk, planting, digging, trimming and plucking out stray weeds. But tell me, what does all this have to do with the subject we were discussing?"
"Well, I was wondering," Rabbi Nehorai replied. "Why do you insist on employing such skilled horticulturists? Why don't you hire a gardener who sometimes keep his eyes open, and other times keeps them closed..."
"Are you telling me that the Jewish community is the same as a garden?" the Bey smiled.
"In certain respects, yes," the rabbi explained. "Our holy Torah contains 248 positive commandments, lovely seedlings in G‑d's garden that must be nurtured and cared for. Then there are the Torah's 365 prohibitions. Like weeds, they must be carefully plucked out and uprooted. The Chief Rabbi is entrusted with caring for this garden, and must carry out his responsibilities faithfully."
The Bey was convinced, and a few days later Rabbi Nehorai was officially appointed Chief Rabbi of Tunisia.
Have A Wonderful Shabbos!!