DAT MINYAN NEWS AND EVENTS

Please help make our Tefillot meaningful by refraining from talking during Davening.

DAT Minyan Rabbi Asher Klein 6825 Alameda Ave., Denver, CO 80224 www.datminyan.org Twitter: @datminyan

Fri. Jan. 10

שבתJan. 11

Sun. Jan. 12

Mon. MLK Jr. Day

Tue. Jan. 14

Wed. Jan. 15

Thu. Jan. 16

Fri. Jan. 17

Shacharit Latest Shema 9:43 am

6:45, 7:30 7:30, 9:00 8:00 6:35 6:45, 7:30 6:45, 7:30 6:35, 7:30 6:45, 7:30

Mincha/Maariv Earliest Shema 5:53 pm

4:45 4:35/5:44 4:50 4:50 4:50 4:50 4:50 4:50

Less Than Two Weeks Away—DAT Minyan Annual General Membership Meeting— Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 pm at DAT Min-yan. Don’t miss this important opportunity to make your voice heard on important issues surrounding the future of our Shul.

Mazel Tov to the Hashkama Minyan on its 6th anniversary this week! Yasher Koach to Asaf Shraiber, Rabbi Hyiam Reiffman, and Dovid Lev for all of their hard work and dedication in leading the Minyan on a weekly basis.

B’nai Akiva Shabbaton this week—See p. 3.

Scholar in Residence Rabbi Avraham Sut-ton joins us this Shabbat. See box at right and pages 3 and 6. Highlights include an Oneg at Marvin and Vera Kark, SHAWL, and Seudah Shelishit. Rabbi Sutton is the author of “Spiritual Technology: The Transition from Profane Technology to Sacred Technology.”

Rabbi Avi Heller delivers the Derasha this Shabbat. Rabbi Heller is Director of Education at Manhattan Jewish Experience. Originally from Denver, Rav Avi received a BA from Boston University and Rabbinic ordination and an MA in Bible from YU. He has served as Director of Jewish Education at BU Hillel, Director of the Boca Raton Community Kollel, and Rabbi of the BRS West synagogue and the Bronfman Fellow at Hillel's International Center.

Teen Program with Rabbi Sunshine at 10:31 am in the 2nd Grade Room.

Grand Prize Mish-Mosh this Sat. night, Jan. 18, 6:25 pm!

Scholar in Residence Dr. Yael Zeigler will spend Shab-

bat in Denver Feb. 7-8. Dr. Ziegler is a lecturer at Matan and an accomplished educator.

Denver Academy of Torah’s 21st Annual Dinner—Sunday, January 26, 2014 at BMH-BJ. 5:00—Cocktails and silent auction; 6:30—Dinner. For more information, contact Kathy Bashari. See Page 5.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

DAY TIME TOPIC TEACHER PLACE

Fri. 8:00 pm Oneg Shabbat Rabbi Sutton M&V Kark

156 S. Poplar

“The Paradigm of Leaving Mitrayim in Order to Receive the Torah at Sinai”

שבת

8:30 am Tefillah Rabbi Klein MPR

9:45 am Women’s Parsha Chavura 204

Haft/Mussaf Pirkei Avot Rabbi Klein 111

After Mussaf Derasha Rabbi Heller MPR

3:20 pm HS Boys Gemara Dr. N. Rabinovitch Rabinovitch

3:35 pm SHAWL Rabbi Sutton 208

“The Relationship Between Torah and Tefillah”

4:00 pm Shearim B’Tefillah Rabbi Levy MPR

Not Meeting MS Girls Tanach Dr. R. Rabinovitch N/A

After Mincha Seudah Shelishit Rabbi Sutton MPR

“The Inner Technology of Torah”

Not Meeting 5-6 Boys Mishna Rabbi Alter N/A

6:25 pm Grand Prize Mish-Mosh Don’t miss it! MPR

Mon. 9:00 pm Men’s Parsha Rabbi Klein TBA

Tue. 12:00 pm Parsha Class Rabbi Klein

Lohf Shaiman Jacobs Hyman & Feiger PC—950 South Cherry St., Suite 900

Wed. 7:30 pm Using Netivot Shalom

to Elevate Shabbat women only

Shelly Ciner Ciner

Welcome to the Shabbat Parshat Yitro

January 18, 2014 17 Shevat 5774

Candles: 4:01-4:44 Havdalah: 5:45

Parsha: p. 394 Haftarah: p. 1154

EAST OF FAIRMOUNT IS OUT OF THE ERUV, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE OUT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.

KIDDUSH sponsored by Dr. Mervyn and Ann Lifshitz to mark the Yahrtzeit of Mervyn's mother, Sarah Lifshitz, A"H.

SEUDAH SHELISHIT sponsored by members of the DAT Minyan in honor of Rabbi Sutton’s visit.

WELCOME to Scholars in Residence

Rabbi Avraham Sutton, visiting from Israel;

and Rabbi Avi Heller, from New York.

This Week’s Newsletter is sponsored by DenverTorahShiur.com Denver’s newest source for the most exciting Torah classes—Holidays, Gemara, Mussar, Women’s themes, and more!

Sponsorships Available www.DenverTorahShiur.com Jake Weiman, Webmaster

DAT Minyan Rabbi Asher Klein 6825 Alameda Ave., Denver, CO 80224 (303) 281-8999 www.datminyan.org

Refuah Shleima Please include the following names in your prayers. May each be granted a Refuah Shleima. Names are kept on the list until the next Rosh Chodesh. Please resubmit names before each Rosh Chodesh to post@datminyan.org if you would like them to stay on the list.

Ahu bat Gohar Jonathan ben Hagit Menachem Yitzchak ben Yisraela

Dalya Adina bas Esther Leah Rav Aharon ben Bluma Sarah Esther bat Faiyge

Naomi Miriam bat Sarah Emenu Nataniel Chaim ben Sara Rochel Leah Nechama bat Esther

Ariella Bracha bat Sarah Avraham Shalom ben Henna Chaim Benjamin ben Bracha

Galina bas Rachel Chaya Leah bat Sarah Marcelo Hugo ben Alicia Cecelia

Margola Hadassah bat Gitel Sarah Miriam Tova Chaya bat Chanah Raphael Yotam ben Efrat

Sarah Devorah bas Gila Tova Leah bat Chana Yisroel Yakov Moshe ben Sarah

Devorah Leah bat Chanah Raphoel Shmuel Naftali ben Esther Liba Ezra ben Mazal

Danielle Chaya Bat Aviva Dov Tzvi ben Elka Ita Sheiva bas Udya

Bentzion ben Masha Yehudit Sandra Miriam Shoshana bat Chanah Shoshana Michal bat Sara

Shimon ben Miriam Henna Esther Bat Margarit Sarah Kalev Avraham ben Elisheva

Eliyahu Chayim HaKohen ben Sarah Rivka Shoshana Reisa bat Ahuva Refael Elisha Meir ben Devorah

Raizel Shayna bas Basya Yonna bat Esther Baruch Dov ben Sarah Yaffa

(Rabbi) Tzvi Gershon ben Shaindel Shaina Raizel

Weekly Halacha

Q Is there a source for the custom of many to kiss the mezuzah upon entering or exiting one’s home?

A The Gemara in Avodah Zara 11a recounts the fol-

lowing story regarding Onkelos, the author of per-

haps the most well known translation of the Torah.

Onkelos the son of Kalonymus became a proselyte.

The emperor sent a contingent of Roman [soldiers] to pur-

sue him, but he enticed them by [citing] Scriptural verses,

and they converted to Judaism. The Emperor then sent an-

other Roman cohort, instructing them not to say anything

to him. As they were about to take him into custody, he said

to them: “Let me tell you…,” and they too converted. He

[the emperor] dispatched another cohort and ordered them

not to engage in any conversation with Onkelos. As they

seized him and were walking, Onkelos saw the mezuzah

affixed to the doorway. He placed his hand on it and asked

them, “What is this?” They said, “You tell us.” Onkelos

replied, “The universal custom is a mortal king dwells

within and his servants keep guard over him from without;

but with the Holy One, Blessed be He, His servants dwell

within while He keeps guard over them from without, as it

says, ‘Hashem yishmor tzetcha u’vo’echa me’atah v’ad

olam, The Lord will guard your goings and your comings,

from now and forever’” (Psalms 121:8). They too convert-

ed to Judaism. He [the emperor] sent for him no more.

This Gemara is the primary source cited by the

Rabbi’s Message

I recall a conversation in Shul between myself, an

individual who was very distressed with recent events in

his life, and a third individual who was a friend and also

happened to work in the field of mental health. The trou-

bled individual poured out his heart and bemoaned that he

felt guilty about the feelings that were festering in his

heart towards someone who inadvertently had hurt his

feelings. During the conversation, the therapist proposed

that wrong feelings do not exist, and that we have to ap-

proach the feelings as being appropriate by the mere fact

that they are being felt. “If the feelings exist, then they are

real and must be taken seriously. Only then can they be

rectified,” he explained.

His proposition, though, encounters a major chal-

lenge in this week’s Parsha. The last of the command-

ments is “You shall not covet”—a warning against jeal-

ousy. Is there anyone who can claim that they have not

fallen prey to jealousy? Jealousy is a basic instinct that

seems to manifest itself even in the youngest of children.

How can we be expected to suppress this basic behavior

of humankind?

The Beit Halevi offers the following explanation.

He submits that the fear of Hashem alone should help

steer us from this temptation. An example may be some-

one driving in poor weather conditions with his entire

family in the car. He will take extreme care to keep his

hands on the wheel and focus solely on the road. Even if

one of the children were to point out a very interesting or

strange object that is on the side of the road, the driver

would ignore it and devote his attention to the drive. Sim-

ilarly, in our own lives, we have a path that needs to be

driven with goals that need to be achieved. Veering off

the path would not only divert us from our goals, but it

may also have terrible repercussions. Jealousy is the feel-

ing that tries to divert our attention from the road, and we

need to have in mind that the effects of losing our focus.

Torah From Rabbi Klein

Cont’d on page 5

Cont’d on page 5

Essential Rashi’s 1) Where did the Egyptians get animals to pull their chariots?

(14:7)

2) The Jewish women trusted Hashem to grant the Jews a mirac-

ulous victory over the Egyptians. How do we see this? (15:20)

1) Some G-d-fearing Egyptians kept animals inside during the plagues.

2) They brought instruments in preparation for the victory celebration.

DAT Minyan Rabbi Asher Klein 6825 Alameda Ave., Denver, CO 80224 (303) 281-8999 facebook.com/datminyan

DAT Minyan: A dynamic and friendly Modern Orthodox synagogue for all ages dedicated to meaningful prayer,

personal spiritual development, community growth, youth involvement, Torah education and Religious Zionism.

* DAT Minyan only certifies Kashrut of events it hosts or co-sponsors.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Mazel Tov to Dianne Summers on the engagement of her daughter Avigail to Uri London of Randolph,

New Jersey! See L’Chaim information below.

* B’nei Akiva: Shabbaton next week, Jan. 17-18, with Benjy Brandwein from NY and Ely Feldman from Florence,

Italy!

1) Friday Night Carlebach Minyan at DAT Minyan—4:45pm

2) Friday Night Dinner and Oneg at the home of Hanna Kark. Grades 6-12

3) Shabbat morning Davening at DAT Minyan

4) Shabbat Lunch at the Home of Miriam Schottenstein (tentative). Grades 8-12

5) Pre-Snif Program at DAT Minyan at 2:45 pm. Grades 8-12

6) Snif at DAT Minyan at 3:45 pm. Grades 3-8

7) Mincha, Bnei Akiva Seudah Shlishit/Shira, Maariv, and Havdalah.

8) Motzei Shabbat Ice Skating Downtown. Meet at Light rail station on Evans at 7:15 pm. Grades 6-12.

Shabbat Feb 1: Snif at DAT Minyan one hour before Mincha Grades 3-8

Sunday, Feb 2: Super Bowl Party at the home of Gillian Hecht—Food, Big Screen TV! Grades 8-12

Sat. Night, Feb 15: Movie Night at home of Gillian Hecht at 8:00 pm. Food, popcorn, make your own

Pizza! Grades 6-12

Stay tuned: Annual Ski Shabbaton Feb. 28; Snif and “Rosh Shif” Purim Party March 15; Annual DU

Shabbaton with Chabad Southeast April 4!

Questions? Contact Gillian, Shifra, Jacob Wedgle, or Steve Feldman.

A Shabbos of Inspiration with Rabbi Avraham Sutton. Theme: “The Inner Technology of Prayer.” See

Page 1. Please join us in welcoming Rabbi Avraham Sutton to Denver for a community-wide Shabbos of

Inspiration, hosted by several Shuls and organizations, Shabbos Parshas Yisro, Jan. 16-19. Please see the

flyer on the bulletin board for complete schedule. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Merkaz

at 720-881-2768 or merkaz@ytc.edu.

* Summers L’Chaim—Diane Summers and the Summers/Scheuer families invite the entire community to

celebrate the engagement of Avigail Summers to Uri London of Randolph, New Jersey. Uri is the son of

Fran and Hank London. A L’chaim in their honor will take place Tuesday January 21 from 7:00 to 9:00

pm at the home of Mindy and Jeff Hecht, 161 South Glencoe. Hor d'oeuvres and sweet dairy treats will be

served to start the couple off on their sweet life together.

Avos Ubanim Third Annual Ski Trip—Feb. 2. Ages 7-17: $39; ages 18 and up: $79. Cost includes trans-

portation, lunch, snacks, skis, helmet rentals and lift ticket. Previous skiing experience required. Avos Uba-

nim membership not required. RSVP no later than Thu., Jan. 30. For more information or to RSVP, please

contact Rabbi Chaim Sher at 720-881-2768 or Merkaz@ytc.edu.

The Jewish Experience Wine, Cheese & Chocolate: Home, Sweet Home—Sat., Feb 8, 8:00 pm at Infini-

ty Park Event Center. This year's event celebrates their New Center at 399 S. Monaco Pkwy, and features an

edible construction competition, a grand raffle and delicious hors d'oeuvres, desserts, wine and schmoozing

you've come to expect. www.theje.com, (303) 316-6412.

Radio Chavura—This Sunday, January 12th, at 6:30 pm on 990 KRKS AM, hosts Maxwell and Dean Rot-

bart speak with Jamie Sarche, director of outreach and prearranged funeral planning at Feldman Mortuary,

Denver's Jewish mortuary since 1936. Jamie is joined by one of her prearranged funeral planning clients,

Nancy Nowak. - www.chavura.com

http://www.theje.comtel:%28303%29%20316-6412http://www.chavura.com/

DAT MINYAN YOUTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Youth Group Guidelines:

Pick up for all groups (including 4-6th graders) is in-doors.

Please bring your child’s la-beled water bottle, hat, and

jacket to groups with them. Advisors and kids will no long-er be allowed to get these items

from the coat rack or strollers during groups.

A parent or guardian must be on shul premises when chil-

dren are in groups.

Children not attending groups

must be supervised by a par-ent or guardian at all times.

Show Your Appreciation:

You know that advisor that is just so wonderful with your child? You know

how you’ve been able to be in shul because your children are having fun in groups?

Show your appreciation by sponsoring the advisor-only Kiddush (following Hashkama

Minyan and before groups begin) in honor of one or all of the advisors! Contact Mor at

youth@datminyan.org for details.

Great Opportunity!

Happy Birthday: Akiva Shapiro

Is your child’s birthday not listed?

Email Mor Shapiro at youth@datminyan.org.

SPONSORSHIPS The Tu B’Shevat Seder is sponsored

by Josh Fine and Julie Geller in honor of Ilan's 11th birthday and

Aria's 7th birthday, and by Howie, Mor, Elie and Yehuda Shapiro in

honor of Akiva's 7th birthday.

Coming up in Groups:

THIS WEEK Shabbat Jan. 18

Kids’ (Belated) Tu B’Shevat Seder

All groups are invited to

a Tu B’Shevat Seder

at 10:15 am in Room 208! Shabbat, Jan. 18

Parashat Yitro

mailto:youth@datminyan.org

The Ibn Ezra offers an alternative explanation based on

a parable of a peasant who would never contemplate the possi-

bility of marrying a princess. He understands that having the

princess as his wife is utterly impossible, and he therefore does

not bother to even think about being her husband. Similarly, we

should train ourselves to appreciate that Hashem has destined

that each person should have what is given to them, and every-

thing else is beyond the scope of possibility or reality. In that

way, jealousy would not be given a chance to present itself in

our minds, just as the peasant could not even contemplate the

princess as his wife.

The feelings of jealousy that are so pervasive are cer-

tainly “real” and need to be dealt with. Yet we have the ability

to proactively take steps to alleviate the future effects that may

take root. Having the proper approach to life can actually mini-

mize the ability of the feelings of jealousy to affect our thought,

and these steps are very much within our control. May we merit

to always keep our focus on the goals that need to be achieved

and never be diverted by the pursuits and material possessions

of others.

Denver Academy of Torah’s 21st Annual Dinner

Sunday, January 26, 2014 at BMH-BJ.

Cocktails and silent auction—5:00, Dinner—6:30

Honoring Rhoda Reiss Pitler and Nurit & Howard Wedgle

and presenting the Legacy Award to Steve & Barbara Feldman honoring the memory of

Rose and Irving Feldman z”l. For more information

contact Kathy Bashari at 720-941-6455 or kbashari@datcampus.org.

D’VAR TORAH (cont’d from Page 2) Rama for the custom to touch the mezuzah. The Ge-

mara, however, does not discuss kissing the mezuzah,

and in fact the Rama simply mentions touching the

mezuzah. There are several modern Halachic opin-

ions that extend the Gemara to the gesture of kissing

as well. These opinions are largely based upon the

ideas of showing one’s love of the mitzvah, or height-

ening one’s awareness regarding the presence of the

mezuzah. Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, z”l, proposed

opposition to the custom based upon the reasoning

that the act of kissing showed excessive comfort with

the mezuzah, thus minimizing the respect due. He

also suggested that the act of kissing spreads germs, a

hygienic problem mentioned in Shulchan Aruch,

Oruch Chaim 170:15.

Evidently, the custom of kissing the mezuzah

is a recent one, and for most of Jewish history it was

not a common practice. This awareness should in no

way detract from the custom, but place the custom

into perspective.

WEEKLY HALACHA (cont’d from Page 2)

tel:720-941-6455mailto:kbashari@datcampus.org