Friday Night Services – November 2

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Friday night services will be held on 11/2 at our regular time of 7:00 pm.  Our next Saturday morning service will be on 11/10.

Cantor Ben Moshe Message: This week’s parshah, Vayera, contains the famous story of ‘Akedat Yitzhak, the Binding of Isaac, which we also read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. We’re all familiar with the outline of the story-God commands Avraham to “take your son, your only son, whom you love” and offer him up as a sacrifice. The very next day, the Torah tells us, “Vayashkem Avraham baboker” “and Avraham got up early in the morning” to fulfill the Divine command. Avraham wastes no time in doing God’s will. In the morning blessings which are traditionally recited at the beginning of the day, we find a short study session, so that we can fulfill the mitzvah of studying Torah. The texts are from the Torah, the Mishnah and the Babylonian Talmud. The passage from the Talmud is from Tractate Shabbat, page 127A, and lists the things from which a person “benefits in this world, and accrues merit in the world to come.” One of these is “Punctually attending the House of Study for the morning and evening prayers.” The Rabbis use the term “hashkamat Beit HaMidrash”-“hashkamat” is the same verb as “Vayashkem”, to get up early, to make a concerted effort to be on time. It can be difficult for us to be punctual. We have many demands on our time, many obligations, and our lifestyle sometimes leads us to stay up late at night, which makes getting somewhere on time in the morning difficult. This was true in ancient times as well as our own. The Rabbis teach us to follow the example of our ancestor Avraham-“lehashkim”, to get up early, to be punctual to follow God’s commandments. Even when it is difficult to do so, we are assured that the rewards are immense. We look forward to seeing everyone promptly at 7:00 PM for services on Friday, as well as for the services on Shabbatot to come.

Parshat Lekh L’kha

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Our regular Friday night and Saturday morning services will be held this weekend, October 26th and 27th. Friday night services start at 7:00 pm and Saturday morning start at 9:00 am with the Torah reading around 10:00 am. There will be a tot shabbat for pre-schoolers at 10:30am.

Cantor Ben Moshe Message: This Shabbat is a special one in synagogues in Israel-the reading of Parshat Lekh L’kha, which begins with God’s command to Avram (not yet Abraham) to leave “…your land, your birthplace and your father’s house” to go to “…the land which I will show you.” Our patriarch Avram was the first ‘oleh hadash, new immigrant to Israel, and it is the custom there to honor those who immigrated in the preceding year. The Sages considered the Land of Israel to be one of God’s greatest gifts to us, after the Torah. For more than three thousand years, Israel has been our home-“our land, our birthplace and our fathers’ house”. Even as we have moved from one exile to another, we’ve always looked towards our own country. May God continue to protect the Land and the State of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom.

Friday Night Services and Potluck Dinner

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On Friday night, October 19, please join us for our wonderful song filled Friday night services at the slightly earlier time of 6:30 pm this week, followed immediately by a dairy/parev potluck dinner.
What a great way to end the week and welcome in shabbat.
Please email bethelaustin@yahoo.com if you have any questions or what dish you would like to bring.

Parasha B’reshit

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Congregation Beth El we will be having services both Friday night, 10/12, and services this Saturday morning, 10/13.  Friday night services start at 7:00 pm and Saturday morning services start at 9:00 am with the Torah reading around 10:00 am.
 
Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message  This Shabbat we begin again the yearly reading of the Torah with Parshat B’reshit.  We will read of the Creation of the Universe, and especially of humanity.  Our Parshah also speaks of the creation of the Shabbat, the Queen of Days.  Perhaps the most important creation was that of rest-the idea that we were not created to labor unceasingly, but to rest and just *be*.  This is the gift of Torah to us, and from us to the entire world.
 

Children’s Services on Yom Kippur

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Children’s services begin on Yom Kippur (Wednesday) morning after the kids and our child-size Torah scrolls accompany the large Torah scrolls around the sanctuary at the beginning of the Torah service. (Approximately 10 AM)

The younger children (Pre-K to 2nd grade) will then march out and meet with Morah Betsy during the adult Torah service. Expect songs, prayer and an animated re-telling of the story of Jonah. The playground will be closed at that time, and all students 4th grade and up are expected to listen to the Torah reading quietly in the sanctuary. (Third graders get to choose!) Then we’ll all listen to one of our big brothers or big sisters lead Ashrei in the sanctuary, escort the Torah scrolls back to the ark, and then the younger children will play outside or quietly in the social hall while 4th-6th graders are invited into the mini-sanctuary (formerly referred to as the garage and sometimes called the classroom or expanded social hall) to pray, discuss, sing and study Torah.

All children are welcome in the sanctuary at any time. We love kids, we welcome them, and we also want to model for them the behavior we expect from them at synagogue, especially on a day as long as Yom Kippur. Weather permitting, children may use the playground, play quietly in the classroom/mini-sanctuary, read a book in the social hall, or, of course come into the big sanctuary. They are always welcome if they can maintain the dignity of the holiday and respect the purpose of the room and of all those who pray. Entries and exits should be limited, and should be timed as to not interrupt the standing portions of the amidah, the barchu, or kaddish.

Please note that there will be games and books available for children on Tuesday evening for the Kol Nidre service, but we will not be providing child-centered programming at that time.

Any questions? Email Morah Betsy Teacher@BethElAustin.org or fill in the form below.

 

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