Mazel Tov to Mr. and Mrs. Simcha Raczakowski upon the birth of a baby girl, Avigayil! We wish them much nachas!
We would like to welcome our newest members to the kehilla:
Mr. and Mrs. Eitan Lazarus
We are so glad that we have decided to join our shul!
Avos U'Bonim will be held Motzei Shabbos at 7 PM with pizza and prizes. Please join the fun!
The Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr HaTorah (our host Yeshiva) is having a building campaign now. Consider making a donation to support them by clicking here.
Ramban Shiur
The Rov will be giving a shiur in Ramban on the parsha, this coming Thursday night at 9:45 PM in shul. There will be hot refreshments served as well. Please DO NOT park on Bancroft Road or in the yeshiva parking lot, instead park on Park Heights or elsewhere. We look forward to seeing you!
New Motzei Shabbos Learning Program
We are very excited to share that there will be a new learning program on Motzei Shabbosos from 8-9 PM. The limud will be sugyos in hilchos shabbos with chavrusa learning and short chaburos. Everyone is encouraged to attend!
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
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Dvar Torah
While this year is somewhat of an exception, פ' מקץ always falls out during the Chanukah season. There are numerous explanations for this, many revolving around Yosef Hatzadik and how his personality and experiences connect to the Yom Tov. Perhaps one general way of understanding the theme underlying this connection is as follows:
We learn in the Parsha that Yosef remained in jail in Mitzrayim for two years. Rashi at the end of last week’s Parsha says that Hashem did not allow him to leave earlier as a punishment for relying on the שר המשקים and שר האופים to get out. The Seforim are all perplexed by this since Hashem expects us to do our השתדלות. If so, how can Yosef be faulted for performing his due diligence! One famous answer is that of the Beis Haleivi who says that the obligation to do השתדלות depends on the level of the individual; the greater the individual, the less the obligation to perform השתדלות. Yosef was therefore condemned, according to his level, for relying on the שר המשקים and שר האופים.
Although this is a broad topic, the simple takeaway from the words of the Beis Haleivi is that השתדלות is not merely a motion to go through to satisfy the גזירה of 'בזעת אפך תאכל לחם'; i.e., it is not simply a decree without a profoundly fundamental rhyme or reason. For if that were the case, there would be no room to differentiate between great people and people of lesser character, and everyone would be included in the decree! Rather, the correct understanding is that השתדלות is itself a medium to get closer to Hashem. In our natural state, we are distant from Him; even though He is constantly providing us with life and all we need. Through השתדלות, though, we experience the ‘real world’ and are continuously reminded and directed to the realization that we cannot accomplish anything without Him. This sort of dichotomy and struggle between our efforts and Hashem’s goodness is really what brings about the greatest connection to Him.
Tzadikim like Yosef Hatzadik, however, do not require this means to achieve connection to Hashem. Their אמונה is so steadfast that it does not necessitate continuous refinement by way of significant external mediums like השתדלות.
During חנוכה this principle is brought to light. We celebrate a נס, but we choose only to focus on the נס of the פח שמן. That is because although the חשמונאים went out to war without any conceivable chance of winning – according to laws of nature, they knew this was necessary and desired since the existence of Klal Yisroel was on the line and depended on their victory. Therefore, they knew without a doubt they would pull through since Hashem was surely behind them. The fact that they won was incredulous, but they expected no less. Their השתדלות was that of Yosef Hatzadik, at the highest levels of אמונה. For them, this was not even a נס; it was no more of a sign that Hashem was with them than they had previously experienced and knew.
The true נס was that of the פח שמן where Hashem showed his love for Klal Yisroel above and beyond anyone’s expectations during that time when most of the nation was not keeping תורה ומצוות. The central נס, or sign, that we celebrate represented by the נרות is that Hashem is always performing for us above and beyond anything that is expected, even beyond what we truly deserve. This is the ultimate נס, or sign; to see Hashem in a light that we have never experienced until now.
May we be זכה to see ניסים and experience the true meaning of מודים... על נסיך שבכל יום עמנו.
Good Shabbos,
Nesanel Horowitz
