-
7/28/2019 Shabbat Announcements June 22
1/4
Parshat Balak June 22, 2013 14 Tammuz, 5773
The Best Things InLife Are DifferentWhen They Come ForFree
This week's parshacontains theremarkable storyinvolving Bilaam
andhis donkey "Thedonkey saw the angel
of Hashem standingon the road with hissword drawn in hishand, so
the donkeyturned away from theroad and went into thefield; then
Bilaamstruck the donkey toturn her back onto theroad. The angel
ofHashem stood in thefootpath of thevineyards, a fence onthis side
and a fenceon thatsite." [Bamidbar22:23-24]
The Medrash writes inBamidbar Rabbah thatthis scenario of
"thefence on this side anda fence on this side"was a message
toBilaam: You will neverbe able to have anyeffect on these
people,
for these people are
protected by the TwoTablets of Stone written bythe "Finger of
G-d" aboutwhich it is said that theyare "written from this sideand
from this side".Obviously, this is a play onwords. However,
theremust be something deeperhere as well. There must besomething
about the
Luchos concerning which itis written "m'zeh u'm'zehhem kesuvim"
that is theantithesis and the antidotefor all that Bilaam
standsfor. What is theinterpretation of thisMedrash? I saw
aninteresting explanationfrom the Tolner Rebbe, RavYitzchak
MenachemWeinberg shlit"a, ofJerusalem, in his Sefer
Heimah Yenachamuni.Chaza"l say on the pasuk"There never again
arose inIsrael one likeMoshe" [Devarim 34:10]that in Israel there
neverarose one like Moshe, butamongst the nations of theworld there
was such anindividual. Who was that? Itwas Bilaam, the son ofBeor.
The Almightyanticipated the argumentfrom the nations of theworld
"if we had for
Rabbi Frand on Parshas Balakourselves a prophet ofthe stature of
Moses wewould have turned outbetter." He did not wantthe nations to
argue "Itwas not fair. It was not alevel playing field."Therefore,
the Almightymade Bilaam theprophet of the nations equal to Moshe
in
prophecy.
The problem is thatBilaam is one of the mostdespicable
characters inall of Tanach. He is theparadigm of the personwho has
rotten Midos.Tractate Avos catalogshis evil character traits.He was
arrogant, he waslustful, he was jealous,and he was greedy.
Name a bad trait hehad it! In addition tohaving all these
badtraits, he was animmoral person. TheGemara infers[Sanhedrin 105]
that thedonkey he rode on byday was also thecreature that
servicedhim at night as well. Howcould it be that a personwho was
gifted with suchprophecy and with such
Times
Candle Lighting 8:11 pm
Friday Mincha 7:00 pm
Hashkama 8:00 pm
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am
Youth Minyan 8:30 am
Main Minyan 9:00 am
Beit Midrash 9:15 pm
Gemorah Shiur 7:05 pm
Mincha 8:05 pmShabbat Ends 9:20 pm
Sunday, June 23 7:30/8:30 am
Mon., Thurs. 6:35/7:45 am
Wed., Fri. 6:45/7:45 am
Mincha 8:15 pm
Latest Times for
Shema/ Shmoneh Esrei
June 22 9:11/10:27 am
June 29 9:13/10:28 am
Next Shabbat
Pinchas
Candle Lighting 8:12 pm
Mincha 7:00 pm
Tuesday Fast of Tammuz
Shacharit 6:20/7:7:45 am
with Selichot
Fast begins 3:35 am
ends 9:12 pm
TORAHArtscroll 856
Hertz 668HAFTORAH
Artscroll 1189Hertz 682
Kiddush issponsored by
Great NeckSynagogue
Seudah Shlishitis sponsored by
Lauren & Joseph Hymanin honor of
the marriage oftheir daughter
Abigailto
Daniel Elsant
-
7/28/2019 Shabbat Announcements June 22
2/4
understanding of the Almighty could remain themost despicable
amoral and immoral person thereis? The answer is because it was a
gift on the partof the Ribono shel Olam that he should have
thisprophecy. Prophecy under normal circumstances isearned and
achieved after years and years of workand self-improvement.
Prophecy received "forfree" is of a different nature.
The Mesilas Yesharim, Pathways of the Just, goesthrough the
various human traits (based on theBeraisa regarding Rav Pinchas ben
Yair) that arenecessary to acquire in order to ultimately reachthe
top of the spiritual pyramid RuachHaKodesh, Divine inspiration. A
person must workhis way through all the other attributes in
MesilasYesharim in order to reach Divine Inspiration, letalone
prophecy. A Jew who takes the life-longprocess spelled out by the
Ramcha"l in MesilasYesharim reaches the ultimate destiny of
RuachHaKodesh and then Nevuah, prophecy. Bilaam, onthe other hand,
received it all one day as a gift.There was no self-improvement.
There was noworking on himself. The Master of the Universegave it
to him "for free" for the reason wementioned so that the nations
would not have a"complaint" against Him. But Bilaam remained
thesame horrible person he had always been, whohad just received
the gift of prophecy withoutworking for it. Therefore there was
nocontradiction.
We can understand this dichotomy by consideringthe following
scenario. One person works hard athis business, putting in long
hard hours and effort
to build it up from scratch. Little by little, he issuccessful.
The business expands, and then later itexpands even further
following additionalsuccesses. Finally, it becomes a public
corporationand the entrepreneur winds up becoming a
multi-millionaire. That kind of person can usually handlewealth
because he knows what it was to be poorand he knows how hard it is
to make a dollar. He
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat
Announcements Parshat Balak 5773
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program
Dale Polakoff, Rabbi
Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi
Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus
Zeev Kron, Cantor
Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus
Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director
Zehava & Michael Atlas, Youth Directors
Mark Twersky, Executive Director
Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director
Dr. Scott Danoff, President
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
knows it is not "easy come; easy go".
However, another person, who only has an 8th gradeeducation,
suddenly wins the Power Ball lottery andnow comes into 250 million
dollars. Often, such peopledo not know how to handle their wealth.
There arestories galore of these types of people who had suchwealth
ruin their lives because they do not know how
to handle money. They are taking all this money into a"vessel"
that is not worthy of that money.
This was the scenario with Bilaam. "You Bilaam willnever have an
effect on the Jewish people because theJewish people have the
Luchos that are written on thisside and this side, engraved on the
tablets". When aperson wants to describe something as
beingpermanent, the expression used is "carved in stone".The
allusion the Medrash is making by saying that KlalYisrael have the
Luchos which are written "from thisside and from this side" is
saying that what the Jewishpeople have achieved they have achieved
through hard
work, such that it becomes a permanent part of theirbeing,
etched in stone, as it were. Bilaam, however,you are just a flash
in the pan. What you have beengiven in prophecy is not part of your
essence. You willnever be able to have an effect on them.
-
7/28/2019 Shabbat Announcements June 22
3/4
GreatNeckSynagogueMensClub
GOINGFISHING(again!)Haveafunday,bringthewholefamily
OntheCAPT.PETEfromFreeport,NY(30minutesfromGreatNeck)onSunday,JUNE30,2013
Theboatwillbedepartingat9:00am,withthereturntodockat1:30pm
Thecost,whichincludesbreakfastandlunch,is$48perperson
$36forchildren612(nochildrenunder6)
(thefirst6kids12andunderfreewithpayingadult1perfamily)
ContactSteveBlumner6398941,MarkFriedman4821062orHillyMilun4484890
Iam
going
fishing!
Children
under
17
MUST
be
accompanied
by
an
adult
Name____________________________________
Phone#___________________
Numberofadultsandteenagers_________at$48perperson
$_______________
Numberofchildren12andunder_________at$36each
$_______________
Total(CheckattachedmadeouttoGNSMENSCLUB) $_______________
-
7/28/2019 Shabbat Announcements June 22
4/4
ANNOUNCEMENTS
YAHRZE
IT
WITHIN OUR FAMILY
Saturday, 14 TammuzTrudy Friedman for Carl Lederer
Hyman Katz for Israel KatzEdward Mazur for Phil Mazur
Dale Polakoff for William Rosenzweig
Phyllis Safdieh for Aaron ShampanSunday, 15 Tammuz
Samuel Levitt for Geraldine LevittTina Machnikoff for Philip
MachnikoffKenneth S. Magida for Bessie MagidaDaniella Muller for
Philip Machnikoff
Payman Rabiei for Gohar bat BenyaminMonday, 16 Tammuz
Blanche Goldstein for Isidore RubinTuesday, 17 Tammuz
Carol Adamsky for Abraham AdamskyElena Berkowitz for David
Fridman
Rafael Gad for Sara GadLeslie Kahn for Nathan Kahn
Arthur Pomerantz for Ruth PomerantzPayman Rabiei for Pari bat
Meyer
Wednesday, 18 TammuzMarc Gottlieb for Herman GottliebMorris
Nasser for Rafael Nasser
Thursday 19, TammuzSusan Goldman for Oscar Ring
Asher Pirouzian for Ayoub PirouzianFriday 20, Tammuz
Felix Glaubach for Baruch GlaubachMyra Honig for Joan
Scheiner
Leo R. Mindick for Sam RubinsteinRose Weiss for Sabina Fajg
GNS UPCOMING EVENTS
Mazal Tov to Lauren & Joseph Hyman on the upcomingmarriage
of their daughter Abigail to Daniel Elsant, son ofGail & Dr.
Martin Elsant.Mazal Tov to Jerome Goodman on the upcoming marriage
ofhis granddaughter Lielle Levy daughter ofLynn & Igal Levy,to
Jeffrey Sugar.
Mazal Tov to Chaim & Mimi Hirsch on the engagement of
hisdaughter Elisheva to Ben Rubin.Mazal Tov to Rita Gordonson on
her granddaughter HannaTzvia Culangs graduation from Mayanot. Mazal
Tov also toparents Sara & Jay Culang.
SAVE THE DATE:Monday July 1, Fresh Meadows Country Club the NSHA
willbe holding its 10th ANNUAL GOLF, TENNIS, MAHJONGG &
SPA CLASSIC for great golf (11:30 am shotgun), tennis (ladiesat
9:30am followed by lunch & men's at 2:30pm), card games/mahjong
lessons, brunch, BBQs and a sunset cocktail party withour million
dollar Jet Blue Challenge followed by a buffet dinner,with prizes,
raffles and auctions. This years honorees are Karen& Robert
Spitalnick. For additional information re:
sponsorships/participation please email Arnie Flatow at
[email protected] orcall 487-8687 ext 133.
MENS CLUB UPCOMING EVENTSTUES. JUNE 18, 8Pm The third in our
Medical Forum seriesfeatures two Gastroenterologists, Dr. Robert
Herman andDr. Alex Novogrudsky. They will educate and inform youon
subjects from prevention of Heartburn and Acid Refluxdown to why
and how often should you have a colonoscopy.See page three.
SUN. JUNE 30: Annual Fishing trip. $48.00 per person,$36.00 for
children 6-12. (first 6 children free) for moreinformation contact
Steve Blumner, Mark Freidman or
Hilly Milun. See bottom of page three.
SUN. AUG 25, 1:00PM: Join us for "Jewish HeritageDay" at
CitiField, where the NY Mets will be playing the De-troit Tigers.
Details to follow.
SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMOur summer learning program will be
taking place thissummer Beginning July 2. Dates for the remaining
classesare July 9, 23 and 30th and August 6 and 13. Sponsorsare
welcome. To sponsor or dedicate a day of learning at $180please
contact Rabbi Lichter at [email protected] [email protected].
General sponsorships are available at$100 per family.
HIGH HOLIDAYSWith the High Holidays taking place right after
Labor Day, weare asking that all members take care of their
outstandingfinancial obligations in a timely manner to insure that
seatsfor the holidays will be able to be sent out. Those in
arrearswill not be able to obtain their seats unless arrangements
forpayment have been made. If you have any questions, pleasespeak
to Mark Twersky or Elie Cohen our Treasurer.
ROSH HASHANAH SCOPE MAGAZINEPlease submit all articles,
advertisements, photos, and recipes
for the Rosh Hashanah SCOPE magazine edition by Monday,July 1st
to Diane Rein at [email protected]. Thank you.We invite you to
become a SCOPE sponsor for three issues$100 or a single issue
$36.Rosh Hashanna greetings are alsowelcome at $36 each.
PARLOR MEETINGThere will be a Parlor Meeting for RCCS Refuah
Cholim CancerSociety on Monday June 24, 7:30 pm at the home ofMagda
& Sam Yehaskel, 23 Old Mill Road.
HASHKAMA MINYANKiddush is sponsored by Annie & Robert
Mendelson inhonor of the graduation of their son Eli from RAMAZ
UpperSchool.
PEREK IN THE PARKThis Saturday afternoon from 5-6 pm we will
meet atAllenwood Park for a Pirkei Avos Class for Adults. There
willbe Youth Programming for all ages.
SISTERHOODKrav Maga event! We've scheduled it for Monday, July
1stat 8 PM, in the Braun Youth Center. We have to pay for
theinstructors, so please, if you do reserve a place, we reallyneed
you to come. Prepayment is required. Please send inyour checks
directly to Judy Lillien at 35 Margaret Court,Great Neck, NY 11023.
We are considering a small charge forwalk ins - instead of $10
charge, we'll charge $15 thatnight. Please, if you are interested
in attending, email Judyat [email protected]. Thank you so much to
Judy fororganizing this event for us!!!
