Weekly Announcements
Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills Announcements
Vayishlach
Dec 4 – Dec 11
18 Kislev – 25 Kislev
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.
Mazal Tov to all the attendees at the Sunday morning Gemara shiur on the completion of Mesechta Moed Katan (siyum will be held at a future time to be determined).
This Sunday morning we will begin to learn Mesechta Sukkah, one of the best there is!!!! Now is a great time to join with us as we embark on a new mesechta.
Refuah Shleima to Frank Steen
Mazal Tov to Eve & Irwin Hollander on the bar mitzvah of their grandson
NOTE: At Maariv this motzei shabbos we begin to recite Ten Tal u'matar in the shmone esrei
SCHEDULE At Shul & Home
FRIDAY (12/4)
Mincha and Candle lighting: 4:09 PM
SHABBAT (12/5)
Shacharis : 9:00 AM (with R. Yishmael, say brachos at home)
Latest time for shma: 9:26 AM
Mincha: 3:55 PM
Family Seudah Shilishis at home
Shabbos Ends: 5:12 PM
Maariv: 5:18 PM
NOTE: At Maariv this motzei shabbos we begin to recite Ten Tal u'matar in the shmone esrei
SUNDAY (12/6)
Shacharis 8:00 AM
Rabbi’s Gemara Shiur via zoom: 8:50 AM https://zoom.us/j/3812539596
Mincha/Maariv 4:15 PM
MONDAY – THURSDAY (11/30 – 12/3)
Maariv: 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:15 PM Parsha Preview on zoom https://zoom.us/j/3812539596
Thursday: First night of Chanukah
Dvar Torah & Thoughts on Parshas Vayishlach
Rabbi Asher Bush
Between the departure of Esav and Yaakov’s arrival at Shchem, there is a brief one pasuk interlude (which Rashi tells us was a period of one and a half years) which describes his coming to a place that he called Sukkos. The Torah tells us almost nothing of his stay in this location other than the fact that he built a house to live in and shelter for his cattle; it does not directly state how long he stayed there but of course, one doesn’t build a house for a short stay. He names this place Sukkos, which as far as the text tells us relates to the type of shelter he built for his animals. This last detail is most curious, as in Breishis the naming of locations typically relates to an important event, human or Divine, that took place there; most commonly it is a way of giving thanks to God. And of course, this word Sukkos cannot just be ignored as it is the name of the Chag.
But before addressing these questions it is worth noting that there is another place mentioned in the Torah called Sukkos. This place is in Egypt, and as described in Parshas Bo, it is the very first place the Jews went upon exiting Egypt (ויסעו בני ישראל מרעמסס סכותה). They did not spend much time there, as in a few short pesukim later, at the start of Beshalach, it tells us that they left from Sukkos and went to the edge of the Midbar (ויסעו מסוכות ויחנו באתם בקצה המדבר). In this case there is no explanation offered regarding the name, giving the likely impression that Sukkos was the name even prior to this point; although that may in fact not be correct.
It seems that even with the little we do see and know from these texts; a few conclusions can be reached which not only relate to these two events but to the Chag that bears the same name. Each of these two places are the first place reached upon emerging from life threatening danger. Yaakov having escaped both Lavan and Esav, and the Jewish people having escaped the dangers of Pharaoh and the suffering of Egyptian slavery. It is also true that in each case when they leave the place called Sukkos they quickly reenter the world of danger. In the case of Yaakov, he arrives at Schechem, and in the case of the Jewish people they go out into the desert and are pursued by Pharaoh and the Egyptian troops.
So, it seems safe to say that the name Sukkos as used in the Torah suggests a safe place offering respite between the dangers of life. Accordingly, even though on a more technical level the word was used to describe the shelters that Yaakov built for the animals, on a deeper level the word fits the entire location. While telling us little, the very fact that Yaakov named this location Sukkos means that he was well aware of the fact that he had escaped danger and that there was no guarantee that he would not encounter it again. But he also knew that at least for the time being he was safe and secure.
This understanding tells us much about the Chag itself, a time when we are told to exit our normal safe and secure dwellings, the places where safety is generally assumed, and to go out of doors to a place far less safe and secure. This place is called our Sukkah and the entire week called Sukkos; so perhaps surprisingly, this place is our respite, and the rest of life that comes before and after is in fact less secure. Of course, this is not what we see, and that may well be the entire point of the Chag, to remind us that no differently than our ancestors in the desert, our security or insecurity in life is not in our hands and can well be frail and fleeting, but is based on Divine protection. This is not something a person in the desert needs to be told, and certainly not something Yaakov didn’t see in his own life, but for most others who have received the blessing of Divine protection we are provided with a Mitzvah that helps us learn this same lesson in a pleasant way surrounded by family and friends rather than enemies or a harsh desert.