Weekly Announcements
Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills Announcements
Shmini
Shabbos Mevarchim
April 9 – April 16
27 Nisan – 4 Iyar
Mask Rules
For all minyanim the wearing of a mask which fully covers the mouth and nose is required at all times. This includes children as well, no exceptions. [If you need to remove your mask, please step outside of the Shul and restore it before returning to the Shul.]
When selecting a seat in Shul, unless the person near you is part of your household, leave no less that 6 feet of space between you, merely skipping a seat is not sufficient and jeopardizes both of you. The reason that we have left two or three chairs together in places is for families to sit together, please be mindful.
Please remember to send in your yizkor donations to the shul.
Yom HaAtzmaut: Community Yom Ha’Atzmaut Program will take place on Zoom Wednesday evening, April 14,2021 at 8:15PM featuring Rabbi Joshua Lehman. Zoom ID: 845 357 1515, Password: Ashar2020, Dial in: 646-558-8656
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8453571515?pwd=WG1Nb2psL0IxNTd4K2lNMGQxaU9Kdz09
Mazal Tov to Debby & Chaim Chaimowitz on the birth of triplet granddaughters to Erica and Dave Engel.
Also wishing them Tzeischem l'shalom and much success in their new home in Teaneck.
Mazal Tov to Sarah & Ary Luger on the engagement of Shragi to Sima Stern
SCHEDULE At Shul & Home
FRIDAY (4/9)
Mincha: 7:00 PM
Candle lighting not later than: 7:12 PM
SHABBAT MEVARCHIM (4/10)
Shacharis : 9:00 AM (with R. Yishmael, say brachos at home)
Latest time for shma: 9:41 AM
Mincha 6:30 PM
Family Seudah Shlishis at home
Shabbos Ends: 8:16 PM
Maariv: 8:22 PM
SUNDAY (4/11)
Shacharis 8:00 AM
Rabbi’s Gemara Shiur via zoom: 8:50 AM https://zoom.us/j/3812539596
Mincha/Maariv 7:20 PM
MONDAY – THURSDAY (4/12 – 4/15)
Maariv: 9:00 PM
Monday: Rosh Chodesh Iyar
Tuesday: Rosh Chodesh Iyar
Wednesday: Yom HaZikaron
Community Yom Ha'atzmaut Program: 8:15 PM Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8453571515?pwd=WG1Nb2psL0IxNTd4K2lNMGQxaU9Kdz09
Thursday: Yom HaAtzma’ut
Dvar Torah & Thoughts on Shmini
Rabbi Asher Bush
Aside from the shock and pain, the deaths of Nadav & Avihu brings a particular aspect of the lives of our great leaders into sharp focus, namely, that their children did not always reach the levels or prominence of their illustrious parents. The two sons of Moshe are hardly mentioned and appear to have no significant role in the life of the Jewish nation as adults. The two older sons of Aharon perish in this tragic episode; it is only his two younger sons who survive and take their places among the leaders of the nation.
But in the story of Nadav & Avihu, aside from the אש זרה, the strange and unauthorized fire mentioned in the Torah, and the various motives/causes which the Sages suggest led to this act, there is also the backstory. That backstory, we are told, is the story of the Eigel and the guilt of Aharon for having allowed it, even making it. The Sages point out that Aharon’s punishment may not have been completed until the death of his sons. Accordingly, the fact that these sons did not reach the heights of their father may not be mere coincidence or bad luck. But this itself is far from a simple matter.
The problem with this idea is that the Torah itself and Chazal as well go to great lengths to make it clear that לא יומתו אבות על בנים ובנים על אבותם, parents do not die for the sins of their children and children do not die for the sins of their parents. This is such a strong and unambiguous teaching so that even in cases where it appears not to be the case, as in idolatry, there is a need to point out that this is כשאוחזין מעשה אבותיהם בידיהם, it is only relevant to speak of the evil of the parents when the children themselves grow up and continue in the same evil ways. So, it may well be that when the Sages related the punishment of Nadav & Avihu to the sin of the Egel, and most specifically to the role of Aharon, their father, very likely it is not literally coming to say that they were now being punished for what he had done, but that they were in a very real way continuing to do what he had done at that time.
In each of these two stories things were not working out as had been hoped. After forty days Moshe has still not returned, and they are not sure how they will be able to connect with God, while in our Parsha the much-awaited heavenly sign (the fire coming and consuming the offerings) has not appeared despite all their hard work and prayer. In each of these stories inappropriate human actions are done to bring about a connection between the Jewish people and God; in each case it is an action that is not in accordance with the God’s will. So, in a very real way it can be said that Nadav & Avihu are repeating the sin of their father; hence they are punished for the sins of their father.
This approach may also help explain two other issues as well. Firstly, that the response of וידום אהרן, “and Aharon remained silent” may not just be due to pain or shock, but it may also be the painful realization that his actions had led to this moment as his sons had just perished doing essentially the same thing that he had done when he made the Eigel. Secondly, following the Eigel when Moshe was told וביום פקדי ופקדתי עלהם חטאתם, that on the when I remember I will remember their sin upon them”, this may not refer to “randomly” adding a measure of punishment to them based on a past sin, rather it may well be referring to cases where the sin at hand can be viewed as a continuation of the sin of the calf. In such a case they would be no different than any other children who continue in the sinful practices of their parents.