Shabbat Mevorachim June 3 & 4, 2016 • 26-27 IYAR 5776

SHABBAT BECHUKOTAI

CONGREGATION MOGEN DAVID • 9717 W PICO BLVD, LA, CA 90035 • 310.556.5609 • WWW.MOGEN-DAVID.ORG

RABBI GABE ELIAS, Senior Rabbi/Executive Director

NOEY JACOBSON, Cantor

AVY AZEROUAL, President

RABBI YEHUDA MOSES, Rav Kehila, Sephardic Minyan

RABBI MICHAEL ABRAHAM, Assistant Rabbi/Hazan

RABBI NISSIM AFRIAT, Hashkama Minyan

REFUAH SHLEIMAH:

• Mordechai ben Simcha • Efriam ben Ida • Avraham

ben Dolat • Raphael David ben Ella • Ruven ben Raisel •

Shlomo ben Raizel • Levi Yakov ben Maytal Ha’Kohen •

Shimon Dov ben Shifra • Yitzchak ben Kalomeera • Haim

Menachem ben Hena Raizel • Moshe Mordechai ben

Rachel • Baruch Pelech ben Chana • Yoseph Shmuel

Chaim ben Brana • Aaron Yosef ben Chana • Ozer ben

Leah • Rochel bat Miriam • Chana Ruhal bat Selma •

Eshter bat Chana • Matana bat Rachel • Habiba bat Ra-

hel • Tzvia Nechama bas Chana Rochel • Bracha Hena

bat Rivka • Rachel bat Chana • Sara bat Etta • Rivkah

bas Chemda • Elana bat Rachel • Miriam bat Sarah •

Villis bat Fruma • Chava Golda bat Rachel Leah • Sarah

bat Elka • Shifra bat Chaya • Marcello ben Rivka • Silvia

Neche bat Rosa • Esther Shayna bat Chave • Abraham

ben Shlomo • Chaya Rachel bat Simcha • Yehezkel ben

Rachel • Nathan Aaron ben Blimah • Esther bat Gital •

Israel Aaron ben Shendel •

IN MEMORIAM: JUNE 3 - 9 / 29 IYAR—3 SIVAN

Gesela Alcalay • Shlomo Birnbaum • Philip Karz • Samson

Mintz • Mordechai Murciano • Alma Bernet • Joy Ruth

Graff • Molly Greenberg • David ben Nachmon Minc

Sora Chaya Sacks • Rose Stein • Israel Yitzhak Bruck •

Isadore Kaufman • Fanny Markman •

THIS SHABBAT, YOM YERUSHALAYIM SHABBATON

WELCOME TO GUEST SPEAKER RABBI MIKE FEUER,

OUR RZLA SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE speaking Shabbos-

morning

SHAVUOT HOLIDAY SCHEDULE, SATURDAY NIGHT JUNE, 11TH

ALL NIGHT LEARNING, OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY,

BEGINS AT 12:00am

SHAVUOT SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE with RABBI DR. YIGAL

TSAIDI

Ashkenaz Minyan

Erev Shabbos

Mincha: 6:30pm

Candle lighting: 7:42pm

Shabbos

Mishna: 8:45am w/R’Elias

Shacharis: 9:00am

Mincha: 7:30pm

Ma’ariv: 8:32pm

Havdalah: 8:39pm

Weekday

Shacharis: Sun 8:00am

Mon-Fri 6:30am

Mincha & Maariv: 7:50pm

Sephardic Minyan

Erev Shabbat

Mincha: 6:30pm

Candle lighting: 7:42pm

Shabbat

Hashkama Minyan: 7:45am

Parsha Drasha w/Rabbi Moses : 8:15am

Shacharit: 8:45am

Teen Minyan: 9:30am w/Rabbi Abraham

Shiur w/Eliyahu Binyamin Moses : 6:00pm

Shiur w/Rabbi Moses : 6:45pm

Shir Hashirim w/Rabbi Abraham : 6:45pm(boys only)

Mincha: 7:25pm(followed by Seudah Shlishit & Arvit)

Havdalah: 8:39pm

Weekday

Shacharis: Sun 8:00am

Mon-Fri 6:30am

Mincha & Maariv: 7:50pm

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS:

Bnei Akiva Events: 6/4: Special end-of-year Snif

Shluchot, 7:15pm (walking groups LEAVE Canfield &

Airdrome at 6:55). Don't miss it! For more info contact

Eyal at (310) 220-1459

Yoetzet Halacha Shoshana Samuels: Will receive the

first Nishmat Miriam Glaubach Center Award on Wed,

6/1, at a Gala Dinner in NYC celebrating Nishmat,

which educates and certifies all Yoatzot Halacha.

To share the celebration, call 201 525-5100 or log on to

www.nishmatgala.org

The Ezra Network: WEDNESDAYS: FREE Social Services @

KMD. Make your appointment by contacting: Ro-

chelle, Social Worker, 323.229.0235; Giselle, Jobs,

323.761.8888 x8998; Emily, Legal Counselor,

323.549.5827

Synagogue Based Bereavement Support Group: @ KMD

every Wed, at 3:00 pm. For info, contact: Ezra Network

Social Worker Rochelle Shapiro at (323) 229-0235

Bet Zedek Legal Services: If you are looking for legal

help, whether it has to do with applying for Holocaust

reparations, an eviction notice or elder abuse, the Ezra

Network is here for you. The legal counselor can assist

you, at no cost. If the legal counselor cannot assist you

directly, the attorney will provide referrals to other

agencies that may be able to assist. Contact 323-549-

5827. All information provided is confidential

Moshava California: - Summer is nearly here &

registration is CLOSING OUT! Don't miss out on an

summer sports, arts, nature, friendship, ruach and

more. For more info: office@moshavacalifornia.org or

855-MOSHAVA

5 Day Yosemite Camping Adventure for High School

boys: (14-17) Aug 21-25, 2016. Experience Redwood

trees & Waterfalls, Hiking, BBQ’s, Tefilos & Shiurim. Trans-

portation and Meals provided. Contact: Mordechai

Lalehzari 310-927-6417, or outdoorstitch@gmail.com

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Kiddush this week is sponsored by Reuben and Miri-

am Robin in honor of their new Baby Girl. Mazal

Tov!

Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Rina Bamela in hon-

or of the Birthday of Albert Bamela. Happy Birthday

Albert !

BORUCH DAYAN EMET

With Sorrow CMD regrets to inform you of the passing of longtime Chazzan,

LEOPOLD SZNEER

Condolences go out to his wife Isabelle Szneer, and the family on their profound loss.

" המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים "

"Ha-Makom yenahem etkhem b'tokh sha'ar aveilei Tizon V Yerushalayim"

"May the Omnipresent console them among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem."

MAZAL TOV! on the Birth of a Girl

to

REUBEN and MIRIAM ROBIN and

DAN and JESSICA KRIEF and to

SHEMUEL and NAOMIE EZRAN

on the Birth of a Boy May They Merit To Be Raised to Torah, Chuppah, And Maasim Tovim!

MAZAL TOV !

to MOSHE SCHLUSSEL and EDEN BURSTYN on their upcom-

ing wedding.

Mazal Tov to the Schlussel and Burstyn families and to all

friends joining in on this Simcha

JUNE

• Alma Barnes • Rhona Wacht • Netaniel Nissanoff •

Daniella Alyeshmerni • Shery Javaherian • Joel Lin-

derman • Tania Bohbot • Leat Silvera • Ruthie

Afriat • Ellie Rostami • Abraham Kashani

With the assurance of blessing for adherence to Torah,

this parsha describes in chilling terms the inevitable results

of repudiation of Torah. This sedra (portion) sets forth the

consequence of obedience and disobedience to

Hashem's precepts and laws. On the one hand, we are

promised if we faithfully observe the mitzvot, there will be

seasonal rain, peace, fertility, and Hashem's ever abiding

presence. On the other hand, if we do not obey

Hashem's mitzvot, the most horrible consequences

(known as the Tochacha) will ensue: disease, hunger,

famine, war, drought, cannibalism and a multitude of

other horrors which would make the plagues visited upon

the Egyptians look like child's play (we have been witness

to it in our generation). This would appear to present an

angry and vengeful God. But not so, for we are told that

when we will at last have humbled ourselves and have

atoned for our iniquities; then Hashem will remember his

people and his covenant.

This is a lesson for us in our daily lives when interacting

with our fellow Jews. There are some of us who cannot

find it within ourselves to forgive one another. We live

with a continual feeling of strong dislike (because of dif-

ferent views and opinions). It burns in us quietly at first,

steadily growing, until the dislike is so obvious that it

makes us do irrational, unnecessary and, harmful

things. Surely; if we weren't harboring this dislike in our

hearts, these destructive acts could be prevented, re-

placed by constructive deeds. Deeds that might have

helped the problem instead of increasing the dislike that

scars our hearts and minds.

Certainly we have enemies, dangerous ones, who are

planning our destruction this very minute and are

spreading anti-Semitism all over the globe. But our hope

for the future, as promised in this parsha, involves faith in

a power much greater than ourselves, the love of one

another and unity in the ranks. Many of us try to live ex-

emplary lives but still we can't see past our noses. As

Yoav learned, man can never understand the mystery of

Hashem's ways, but there must always be faith. We will

continue to survive and be victorious because we are

the people of the covenant that last throughout the

generations.

Chazak, Chazak, V'Nitchazek, Be Strong, Be Strong, And

Let Us Strengthen One Another.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Gabe Elias

Parashat Bechukotai, the last in Sefer VaYikra, famously

records the Tochacha, the national rebuke given to Bnei

Yisrael detailing the travails and calamities Hashem will

suffer on us if we don't listen to Him and, conversely, the

blessings He will bestow upon us if we do. These rebukes

are also recorded in Parashat Ki Tavo, in Sefer Devarim,

with the main distinction being whether there were con-

veyed in the singular or plural tense. The purpose of re-

buke, of course, is to mend our ways--L'takken et Ha-

Middot--through following Hashem's Mitzvot.

On an interpersonal level we are also required to offer

rebuke, Tochacha, to our fellow Jews. When we see an-

other Jew acting inappropriately, creating a Chillul Ha-

shem, we are mandated by the Torah to offer rebuke, as

the pasuk in Parashat Kedoshim tell us: "Hocheiach

Tochiach et Amitecha," you shall surely rebuke your fel-

low Jew. The Gemara in Masechet Bava Metzia already

limits the scope of this command, claiming that it is a

Mitzvah to remain silent and not offer rebuke when the

person will refuse help and continue to sin anyway, as the

pasuk conlcudes, "V'Lo Tissa Alav Chet." Many commen-

tators, notably the Tur, already said that nowadays we

have lost the art of Tochacha, the ability to distinguish

when and in what circumstances to rebuke, and when

to remain silent, and it is better nowadays to err on the

side of caution and not offer rebuke. This is the accepted

opinion.

An important caveat must be made, however. All this is

true for Mitzvot Bein Adam L'Chaveiro, but for Mitzvot Bein

Adam L'Makom we don't have the right or the option to

remain silent. We can never forego a Kavod afforded to

HaKadosh Baruch Hu. For those Mitzvot which express a

relationship with Hashem we must always remain vigilant

and protective of Kavod Shamayim, even if it means ex-

pressing rebuke, Tochacha. Of course, each situation

must be weighed and balanced, and all our actions must

be L'shem Shamayim.

Shabbat Shalom !

Rabbi Yehuda Moses

KOLLEL & CLASSES

Daily Classes

Sun-Fri: Chok Le’Yisrael w/ Haim Dayan

Sun @ 8:45am; Mon -Fri @ 7:30 am

Weekly Classes

Sun: Shiur

w/ Rabbi Adler following Shacharit

Sun: Guide to Belief

w/ David Sacks @ 9:30 am

Mon: Parsha Class

w/ Rabbi Elias @ Pico Café 7:45 am

Wed: Lunch & Learn (Parsha)

w/ Rabbi Elias @ 12:00 pm

Thur: Gemara Class

w/ Rabbi Moses @ 8:00 pm

NEW* Talmud Shiur w/Rabbi Elias @8:30pm

Kollel Classes are Sponsored by Avy and Sandra Azeroual;

Dedicated in memory of ADA BAT HANNA AZEROUAL; and in

dedication to the memories of JACK E. GINDI and ESKANDAR

RASHIDI DOOST.

We offer the opportunity to sponsor a week of Kollel learning for $180

as a way to commemorate a Yahrtzeit or Hazkarah, to celebrate a

joyous Simcha, or to help and support the Torah learning at our Shul.

Please call or email the office to choose a week to sponsor a class.

BECHUKOTAI

2016-17 Annual General Elections Meeting, Sunday June 19 at 9:00am

Open to All members PAID-in-FULL PRIOR to the meeting, Only paid members are allowed to attend, and are eligible to vote.

Please Call The Office at 310-556-5609 and Take Care of Any Open Account Balances Or The Balance Of Your Hol-iday Pledge

MEMBERS MUST BE PRESENT TO VOTE Sincerely, CMD Nominating Committee

OU Annual Awards Banquet: June 21 at the Beverly Hills

Marriott at 5:45pm.

Installation of West Coast President Scott Krieger

Email: westcoast@ou.org for info 310-229-9000 xt 200

Meir & Alissa Kroll • Raphael & Annie Sabbah •

Michael & Yisca Abraham • Mal & Shirley Serure •

Nate & Laurie Minc • Oscar & Miriam Krater •

Ephriam Behzad & Mojgan Noorani • Mark & Ann

Deutsch • Adrian & Taly Engel • Ramin & Liorah

Namvar • Geoffrey & Melanie Anderson • Moshe &

Arlene Kupietzky • Mark & Sheryl Hyman • Mark &

Lauren Mintz