Saturday, June 8 Tanya Class 9:15am Morning Service: 10:00am Kiddush: 12:15pm Evening Service: 7:55pm Shabbat Ends: 9:18pm
Kiddush Sponsored by
The Kiddush Fund Members
Shavuos Holiday Times The holiday of Shavuos, the anniversary of giving the Torah,
begins on Tuesday evening, June 11th.
Join the holiday services!
Tuesday, June 11 Candle Lighting 8:10pm All night learning starting at 11:30pm
Wednesday, June 12 10:00am Shacharis
12pm: Dairy Kiddush Ice Cream Party 5:00pm Candle Lighting after 9:20pm
Thursday, June 13 10:00am Shacharis 11:15am Yizkor
12pm: Holiday Kiddush 9:20 Holiday ends
A packed week it was, with the End of Year events for our JteenClub, Jteen Junior, Bat Mitzvah Club and Women's Shavuos Night!
We look forward to resuming in September!
New for 2024 at FAIR LAWN JEWISH DAY CAMP
Swimming at the beautiful Paramus Pool
Swim lessons are back
Door to door bus transportation is back
Professional coaches and instructors for specialties
Expanded activity rooms
A BISSELE HUMOR
Three Jewish mothers are sitting on a bench, arguing over which one’s son loves her the most. The first one says, “You know, my son sends me flowers every Shabbos.” “You call that love?” says the second mother. “My son calls me every day!” “That’s nothing,” says the third woman. “My son is in therapy five days a week. And the whole time, he talks about me!”
WEEKLY eTORAH
"Numbers" may be the name by which the fourth of the Five Books of Moses is commonly called, but in the Hebrew original it is known as Bamidbar, or “In the Wilderness.” It is interesting to note that this Parshah is always read immediately before the festival of Shavuot, “the season of the giving of the Torah.” What is the connection? The Sages teach that it is not enough for G‑d to give us the Torah; we have to be ready to receive the Torah. What makes us worthy recipients of this most precious and infinite gift from G‑d? This is where the “wilderness” idea comes in. A wilderness is a no-man’s land. It is ownerless and barren. Just as a desert is empty and desolate, so does a student of Torah need to know that he is but an “empty vessel.” Humility is a vital prerequisite if we are to successfully absorb divine wisdom. As long as we are full of ourselves and our preconceived notions, we will not be able to assimilate and integrate Torah into our being. Even if are already somewhat accomplished in our Torah studies, we still need to remember—as the Kotzker Rebbe put it—that “as much as you know, you are still an undeveloped wilderness.” Then there is the idea that an ownerless wilderness is there for anyone to stake his claim. No person or group of people has a monopoly on Torah. It belongs to each and every single Jew, not just the rabbis or the yeshivah students, or the religiously observant. “The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the entire Congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). While we acknowledge that there is much hard work ahead of us if we are to acquire the Torah and make it ours, we also know that with diligence and effort we can succeed. Indeed, some of our finest Torah scholars throughout the generations have hailed from the simple, ordinary folk—tailors, cobblers and the like. Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah (Laws of Torah Study 3:1), states: “With three crowns was Israel adorned—the crown of Torah, the crown of the priesthood and the crown of royalty. The priesthood was the privilege of Aaron . . . royalty was the privilege of King David . . . the crown of Torah is there ready and waiting for all of Israel . . . and it is the greatest crown of all.” However, while Torah may be “free for all” as a desert wilderness, we must surrender ourselves to it, emptying ourselves of our ego and our preconceptions, rather than attempting to adjust it to our own circumstances and lifestyles. And then, like the empty and uninhabited wilderness, the Torah personality may well find himself alone and isolated. We might express our strongly held values and beliefs, only to discover that we stand alone. We might display the courage of our convictions and find ourselves, like Abraham, “on the other side” of the whole world. Our principles may well prove unpopular, especially should they step on toes or upset apple carts. No matter. Being true to G‑d and His Torah means standing by it, under any and every circumstance. May the literal title of our Parshah of Bamidbar, and the many lessons it conveys, serve as a fitting prelude for the beautiful festival of Shavuot. May we receive the Torah with joy and earnestness, so that this important festival will be both memorable and meaningful.
