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Transcript of racn kue KolMevaSer Mevaser/km0917.pdf · Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue 2 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill...
Every year, thousands of Israeli combat soldiers are discharged from
their military service. Most of them take several months or more to adjust to civilian life. There is an urgent need to help strengthen discharged combat soldiers, and to equip them with the tools they will need to handle the psychological trau-mas of military life successfully. The “Peace of Mind” project of the Israel Center for the Treat-ment of Psychotrauma (ICTP) is an intervention designed specifically to address this vital task, and KMS is launching a campaign to help.
Israelis in combat go through many hardships. Besides the enormous physi-cal efforts, soldiers live under continu-ous threat, always at risk of terrible in-jury and death. Although most soldiers from combat units display remarkable resilience, there are well-documented long-term effects of this accumulated traumatic exposure. They include dif-ficulty in letting go of hypervigilance, frequent intrusive recollections, and a negative view the world. The conse-quences can be substance abuse, bouts of anger and difficulties in building rela-tionships. Israeli youngsters are paying a very high price for having to defend their country. The Peace of Mind project is based on the conviction that the damage can be prevented.
To help soldiers regain their sense of
well-being, Peace of Mind reconstitutes their original combat units in therapist-facilitated workshops. To begin, the unit members participate in activities that start a dialogue on their combat expe-riences. The soldiers come as a group to overseas Jewish communities for an intensive week of working through their traumatic experiences. The setting outside of Israel allows them to discon-nect from the stresses of Israel and also from their immediate environments. It also imparts a sense of connection with the Jewish world outside of Israel, and helps the participants to learn that what they do is connected to something larger than Israeli politics. A concluding one-day workshop in Israel for process-ing and closure takes place six weeks after the main workshop, and there is a follow-up meeting six months later.
During the Yamim Noraim, KMS will begin a campaign to sponsor a unit of
IDF combat veterans in the Peace of Mind program, with the hope of hosting the veterans in our community in the com-ing year. The process starts with fundraising, and we urge every member of KMS to participate as a personal way for our com-munity to help IDF combat veterans heal. Right now there are over 70 units on the waiting list. We encourage you to help the defenders of our homeland make the best possible transition back to civilian life. That is one
way of showing them that we value what they have done for Israel.
To learn more about Peace of Mind and how KMS will partner to help heal the soldiers, please contact Jeff or Sara Elikan or Ina Lerman.
Peace of Mind: KMS to Help IDF Combat Soldiers Healby Ina Lerman
IN THIS ISSUE
From the rabbi
page 3Upcoming
page 4From the president
page 5the chevra Kadisha
page 6holiday greetings
page 15donations
page 45
A PUBLICATION OF THE KEMP MILL SYNAGOGUE
KolMevaSerTHE NEWSLETTER OF KEMP MILL SYNAGOGUE
K M S
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2 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
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September-December 2017 38
2 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
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From the rabbi
Elul 5777
Tossing Bread and Cherishing Life:A Fishy Custom of Rosh Hashana Afternoonby Rabbi Brahm Weinberg
continued on page 9
During one of my very first moments in Kemp Mill, a member of KMS recounted their meaningful life
experience of performing Tashlich by the waters of the Persian Gulf off the bow of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. That in-stant I realized two things: just how unique
the members of KMS really are, and just how many people must have fascinating Tashlich stories to tell! From the off-ramps of the Belt Parkway to the banks of the Yarkon, from the ponds of suburban America to the beaches of Tel Aviv, and from the snowy peaks of the Alps to the wells of the small land-locked towns of the Ukraine, Jews of all stripes gather at bodies of water around the time of Rosh Hashana to perform Tashlich.
Tashlich, derives its name from the verses which end the book of Micah:
מיכה פרק ז: יח-כ מי אל כמוך נשא עון ועבר על פשע לשארית נחלתו לא החזיק
לעד אפו כי חפץ חסד הוא. ישוב ירחמנו יכבש עונתינו ותשליך במצלות ים כל חטאותם. תתן אמת ליעקב חסד לאברהם אשר
נשבעת לאבתינו מימי קדם
Micah 7:18-20Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth the iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
The practice of gathering near a body of water on the days of judgment and repentance is related to the aspirations of this beautiful prophetic verse of forgiveness in which the human being longs for Hashem’s compassion that will give way to exculpation from sin so complete that all iniquity will vanish. The prophet describes just how far Hashem will go to forgive His people by using the analogy of casting the sins into the depths of the sea. Symbolically, the depths of the sea are a place as far away as possible from human life; a place where things can be lost without a hope of return.1,2
The practice of Tashlich first appears in Jewish literature in the fourteenth century3 but most likely originates in the Ge-onic period four hundred years earlier. Rashi4 cites a practice of the Geonim which rings strange to the modern Jewish ear. He says that there was a Geonic practice of planting beans fifteen or twenty-two days before Rosh Hashana in a basket of earth. On Erev Rosh Hashana, once the beans had sprouted, they would take the small sprout, wave it over their heads seven times while saying “this in exchange for that, זה תחת זה” and then throw it into the river. This custom sounds like a peculiar hybrid combining the contemporary customs of Tashlich on Rosh Hashana with Kapparot on Erev Yom Kippur. This Ge-onic practice possesses some splendid philosophic overtones associated with repentance, which are reminiscent of those in the book of Yonah which is read on Yom Kippur afternoon,5 but it is not a practice that withstood the test of time.
Over the centuries, the Tashlich ritual as we know it today became a pervasive Ashkenazic practice that was eternalized when codified by the Rema on Shulchan Aruch.6 There were always some variations of opinion about the parameters of the custom. Some performed Tashlich on Rosh Hashana itself while others performed it during the Ten Days of Repentance and still others waited until the end of the period of judgment on Hoshana Raba. There were those who hastened or delayed its performance when Rosh Hashana fell on Shabbat for fear of Shabbat violations, and others who permitted it. As part of the ritual, some simply went to a body of water to recite the verses from Micah quoted above,7 or chapters of Psalms, or even Kab-balistic prayers8 for life and sustenance. Others adopted the practice of shaking out their pockets9 or even throwing bread into the water, symbolically casting away all sins.10
A host of explanations have been offered to explicate the significance of this custom. All consider the practice to be a “siman,” a symbolic act, of some sort related either to the water that is visited or to the fish contained therein. Symbolic actions are not foreign to Rosh Hashana at all. Jews perform various customary deeds such as dipping apples in honey and eating certain foods either as signs of faith that Hashem will respond positively to these symbolic acts, or as inspiration for further human repentance and soul searching. These acts
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Watch your in-box for more details on these upcoming community, education, youth and Israel programs at KMS this fall. Volunteers are needed. For more information contact:Lisi Levisohn about Youth events, Tamar Teitelbaum about Kehillah events, Jen Raskas
about Education programs, Ina Lerman about Israel programs.
Saturday, September 16New Member Shabbat Lunch for new and veteran KMS members
Shabbat, September 15-16Pre-Rosh Hashanah Scholar-In-Residence: Dr. Elana Stein Hain, Director of Leadership Education at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
Sunday, September 17 Book Nook Celebration For families and children
September 20-30 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Programming For children
Sunday, October 1 Sukkah Decorating Party For children and youth
Sukkot Sukkah Hop and special event for teens For children and youth
Simchat Torah Early HakafotFor young children and their parents
Simchat Torah Teen Dinner For teens
Sunday, October 22 Parshat Noah Petting Zoo For families and children
Sunday, October 22 Rosh Hodesh Cheshvan Program: “Fall into Color” For women
Saturday night, November 4 Motzei Shabbat Family Learning Program begins For families
Saturday night, November 4Israel Program: “Prime Ministers Rabin and Begin: Soldiers and Peacemakers,” featuring David Ma-kovsky and screening of film.
Shabbat, November 10-11Scholar-In-Residence: Rabbi Hanoch Teller, “globe-trotting modern-day maggid”
Sunday, November 12 KMS Garden of Remembrance Program
Friday night, November 17 Kislev Rosh Hodesh Program: “Drunkin Donuts” For women
Shabbat, November 17-18 Special Israel Guest at KMS, watch for further details.
Shabbat, December 8-9 Maccabeats Shabbat at KMS For everyone
Friday night, December 15 Rosh Hodesh Tevet: “Back to the Beginning” For women
Shabbat, December 15-16Scholar-In-Residence: Dr. Adam Ferziger, Professor of Jewish History at Bar Ilan University
Hanukkah KMS and Youth Hanukkah Party
Mark Your Calendars for UpcomingKMS Special Programs and Events
September-December 2017 58
From the President
I’m sorry. Really. Sincerely. I apologize. by Alec Stone
Few things focus the mind like a public acknowledgment of error. And this time of year reminds me to channel
my thoughts and actions into reflective mode and to reach out to others with whom I’ve had less than optimal interactions.
In Judaism, repentance is a central com-ponent of actual forgiveness. It’s hard to
really mean you’re sorry without understanding the errors made, willfully or not. Common features of apologies include an encounter between two parties where the offender acknowl-edges responsibility for an offense or grievance and expresses regret or remorse to the aggrieved.
The traditional mea culpa offers a broader range of definition, from minor neglect to gross fault, and varying degrees within each of these categories. Culpability does not approach fraud, guile, and deceit, each of which may be parsed into their own segmented levels. It’s a slippery slope and sliding scale.
What I have learned this year as KMS president is that as-pects of synagogue life that I previously took for granted are different for everyone. What I used to think of as mundane or even trivial, I now understand can be central and even crucial to others. Perception is relevant to interpretation.
I have always thought forgiveness was about perspective. What might be a perceived as a mere slight or even a major offense by one person is hardly noticed by someone else. Is the other person obtuse or indignant? Are they correct or am I out of touch? There are so many moving parts, even an apology can be misinterpreted.
Many of us know that being ignorant of the law is not an excuse for committing a crime. However, for many crimes there is also the burden of proving the requisite mental state. Mens rea requires a demonstration that the wrongful act was committed knowingly. That is a tall order and puts a great deal of assumption on another party. Was it intentional or merely a misunderstanding?
Between God and the personOnly Go3d knows, and our relationship with the Almighty
is complex. Filled with love, dread, fear, confusion, and joy. If you’re like me, this is an ever-changing and evolving relation-ship, but the yamim noraim help to ground me. The parshiot leading up to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur remind me of this relationship frequently. They set a tone.
Between each other
In an Orthodox Union dvar torah by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir, I was struck by his comment that the godliest action we as people can take is to forgive. To be able to humble oneself and admit error to another person, and then have that person ac-cept an apology is as close to divinity as we may get ourselves. But we must strive for that level.
This may be the most difficult one to overcome. While we say it’s easy to lie to ourselves, it’s not. We rationalize, we equivocate, we justify. But in the end, we are self-aware enough to know the truth. Can we come to grips with it and allow ourselves to be forgiven by ourselves? Without this internal release, relationships with others are equally difficult. It’s how we treat people that matters most.
Today, the kids use sarcastically the “sorry, not sorry” ex-pression. Meaning, “I said I was sorry, but I am really not.” The implication is that clearly, the mistake was yours, or you must understand that while I offered an apology, not only was it insincerely, but actually I wanted you to know that I was laughing at you while giving it. It is a sad state of affairs that we now mock such a basic and needed interaction. That should never be the case, especially at shul.
Between myself and othersIn a 2014 Psychology Today article on the history of the apol-
ogy, an interesting point was made: “In small social circles, al-lies are critical—and in a species like ours, with a deep history of reciprocal altruism, acquiring and maintaining alliances is foundational.” The resolution? Be genuine, and do it sooner rather than later. Not bad advice.
If I have wronged you, I am sorry. I might have mispro-nounced your family name while announcing your simcha. Or not responded to an email soon enough. Or turned away at Kiddush after a conversation. If that is the case, I do apologize, and want you to know that it was unintentional.
If my words or actions were more severe than that, I also apologize. In board meetings, and in executive committee, the issues are serious, heated, and often raw. But they should not be personal. We are all moving forward with making the shul a stronger, better institution. That has always been my hope, and I want to be part of the solution.
Lisa and I offer the community, our friends, and neighbors a shana tova u’metuka! May the coming year be one of joy, meaning, and fulfillment!
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Chevra Kadisha performs chesed for the deadby Barbara Trainin Blank
A husband and wife in Kemp Mill—Devorah and Dean Grayson—are among the active volunteers for the Chevra Kadisha, preparing bodies of the deceased
for Jewish burial. Dean is, in fact, president of the Men’s Chevra Kadisha of Greater Washington. They and the other members of the Chevrot Kadisha perform a mitzvah known as “chesed v’emet,” an act of lovingkindness that cannot be reciprocated.
Devorah began volunteering when she was 19, almost all in this area. It was a time the number of volunteers was much smaller than it is now, and Linda Rice, then the leader of the Women’s Chevra Kadisha, was recruiting high-school seniors and college students.
Many of the taharot the Chevrot Kadisha perform are not for Orthodox individuals. “We’ll do any tahara, regardless of the person’s affiliation and if he or she is unaffiliated,” said Devorah. But with unaffiliated children or grandchildren of deceased individuals who were themselves traditional, Devo-rah is spending more time on the phone these days explaining why Grandma, for example, should have a tahara.
The Women’s Chevra Kadisha used to do some 25-35 taharot a month, but now that number is down to maybe 20-25. That’s because of the increase in the number of cremations, which cost considerably less than traditional funerals.
Devorah acknowledges that this isn’t an easy mitzvah: it’s difficult standing in a room with a dead person. “You have to go in with a certain mindset,” she says. “Here is someone who can never do anything for him or herself, and cannot thank you. So, it’s totally selfless. But it’s not for everyone.” Many mitzvot are done by rote, but “this, you have to think about it,” she added. “A person cannot prepare him/herself for burial or to meet one’s Maker.”
Everyone on the team is assigned a task, and there is no conversation except as relates to doing the tahara.
The Women’s Chevra Kadisha has a designated cell phone. It does not have a permanently assigned individual to receive calls from the funeral homes. Rather, several women rotate on a weekly basis to take calls. That same person will then assemble the tahara teams throughout her assigned week.
continued on page 13
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are the concretization of the deepest aspirations of the Jewish people and their prayers at a critical time of the year.11
Maharil, Rabbi Yaakov Moelin, the eminent codifier of Ashkenazic halacha and custom in the fourteenth century, is the first to cite the practice of going to waters and rivers on Rosh Hashana afternoon:
ספר מהרי"ל (מנהגים) הלכות ראש השנה אמר מהר"י סג"ל מה שנוהגין לילך בר"ה אחר סעודה אצל ימים
ונהרות להשליך במצולות ים כל חטאותינו, משום דאיתא במדרש זכר לעקדה שעבר אברהם אבינו בנהר עד צוארו, ואמר
הושיעה ה' כי באו מים עד נפש. והוא השטן שנעשה כמו נהר לעכב אותו מן העקדה
Maharil (Customs) Laws of Rosh HashanaMahari Segel said that the custom of going on Rosh Hashana after the meal to waters and rivers to cast into the depths of the waters all our iniquities is because it is reminiscent of the Akeida as the Midrash says Avraham passed through the river until his neck and said: “save me Hashem because the waters have reached my soul.” And this was the Satan who made himself like a river to hold him back from the Akeida.
Maharil connects Tashlich to the verse in Micah cited above
when he paraphrases it to express the goal of this custom as being “to cast into the depths of the waters all our iniquities.” However, Maharil attributes the practice of going to a body of water, to a well-known Midrash Tanchuma12 that forms a historic and thematic connection between Rosh Hashana and water. The midrash says that as Avraham was on his way to the binding of Yitzchak, which we believe occurred on Rosh Ha-shana, the Satan came and caused a river to flow in his pathway to test his resilience and disprove his faith. Avraham prevailed with much perseverance, displaying his devotion to Hashem. The midrash also notes that he called out to Hashem in that mo-ment for help. As part of that prayer, Avraham asserts an intense desire to carry out his mandate, fated by Hashem himself, of proclaiming Hashem’s name in the world, and asks Hashem to save him and Yitzchak for that purpose. The midrash casts the experience of the Akeida as one of human devotion to Hashem, as one of intense faith, as one of calling out to Hashem in prayer, and as one that succeeded because of the human desire to spread the message of ethical monotheism.
It is this experience with all its resulting messages that, ac-cording to Maharil, Jews try to recreate on Rosh Hashana so that they may be stirred to emulate the traits exhibited in that
Rabbi, continued from page 3
continued on page 10
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proverbial moment revealed by the midrash. Rosh Hashana is a day when Jews for all time would attempt to turn to Hashem in prayer, ask Hashem for mercy, crown Hashem as king by proclaiming His oneness in the world, and make many at-tempts to tap into the merits of those who came before, making Tashlich the perfectly appropriate symbolic act for the day.
Rabbi Yitzchak Tyrnau, who lived just after Maharil, also quotes the custom of Tashlich in his Sefer Minhagim.13 How-ever, he puts a slightly different stress on the experience which opens up a new philosophical dimension of this practice:
ספר המנהגים (טירנא) ראש השנהורגילין לילך על הנהר ולומר תשוב תרחמינו וגו' ורואים דגים
חיים.Sefer Minhagim (Tyrnau) Rosh HashanaWe are accustomed to go to the river and say “again have compassion” and see live fish.
Tyrnau casually alludes to the viewing of live fish at the water banks. It is unlikely that Tyrnau is being purely descriptive and more likely that he is defining the objective of Tashlich not just as visiting water, but as observing the fish that swim inside of it. He doesn’t explain why this is of significance, but seems to include it as an objective of the Tashlich practice.
Rabbi Moshe Isserles, the Rema, in his sixteenth commen-tary on the Tur, called Darchei Moshe, notes Tyrnau’s addition of the live fish encounter to the Tashlich practice. He believes that seeing live fish is significant for two reasons: First, fish are not affected by the Ayin Hara, the Evil Eye.14 Second, fish are very fruitful.
דרכי משה הקצר אורח חיים סימן תקפג: ב וכן הוא במנהגים (מהר"א טירנא ר"ה עמ' ק) אלא שהוסיף
שרואין דגים חיים ואפשר שהוא לסימן שלא תשלוט בנועין הרע ונפרה ונרבה כדגים
Darchei Moshe OC 583:2And so it is in the Minhagim (Mahara Tyrnau R”H page 100) except that he added that we see live fish. It is possible that it is a sign so that the evil eye shall not have dominion over us and that we may be fruitful and multiply like fish.
Observing these fish on Rosh Hashana at Tashlich is in-tended as a symbolic act for the benefit of the individual and the collective Jewish people who aspire to be protected from the Ayin Hara and to be blessed with life and the ability to continue to flourish against all odds in the year ahead.
Others also endorsed the Sefer Minhagim’s characterization of Tashlich as a ritual linked to fish, but defined its symbol-ism differently than Rema. Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, known as Shelah Hakadosh, living just after Rema, says that at Tashlich a person is meant to notice that fish have no eyelids.15 Eye-lids are generally what cover the eye and block sight; lack of
eyelids indicates constant vision. As a person sees the fish with no eyelids, he or she is supposed to be reminded of how Hashem’s eyes are always upon us. We are supposed to realize that no action taken in this world evades Hashem’s sight and so a person should take that to heart and sincerely engage in the process of repentance. Hashem sees the wrong that people do in life and He also sees all that people do right: no action is too small or inconsequential to be regarded as valuable in the eyes of Hashem. That awareness should motivate the individual to strive for righteous acts of faith big and small, and to abandon past wrongdoing.
One of the other characteristics of fish is that they can be caught within the confines of a fisherman’s net without even realizing it. Fish can sometimes be biting on a worm and not see that they are taking the bait of the eager fisherman at the other end of the tackle. The famed sixteenth-century Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe in his halachic work Levush Malchut says that a person is supposed to see live fish on Rosh Hashana to be reminded of the human condition that so often evades people as they go through life: If people are not careful and aware, if they are not keenly aware of their surroundings and actions, they can very well be caught up in a net from which they will not be able to escape.16
לבוש אורח חיים סימן תקצו סעיף אורגילין לילך למקום שרואין שם דגים, לזכור שאנו
משולים כדגים חיים הללו שנאחזים במצודה, כך אנו נאחזים במצודת המות והדין, ומתוך כך
נהרהר יותר בתשובה
Levush OC 596:1And we are accustomed to go to a place where we see fish, to remember that we are compared to those live fish that are trapped. So too we are trapped by death and judgment and through this we shall be roused to repentance.
Seeing fish at Tashlich is supposed to evoke within us the desire to see the errors of the ways that have ensnared us, and to see where we are headed in life so that we may chart a course for success in the year to come.
While, perhaps, the predominant theories of Tashlich focused on the imagery of fish, many followed the lead of Maharil and maintained that it was the powerful symbolism of the water itself that lay at the heart of the ritual.
Water is a symbol of life as evidenced by the many instances when the Torah refers to water as “מים חיים,” “living waters.”17 Water is also a purifying agent used to cleanse those who contract ritual impurity and is used as a symbolic means of cleansing oneself from the figurative filth of iniquity as notably expressed by the exhortation of the prophet Yishayahu for the Jewish people to engage in teshuva:
ישעיהו פרק א: טזרחצו הזכו הסירו רע מעלליכם מנגד עיני חדלו הרע
Rabbi, continued from page 9
September-December 2017 118
Yishayahu 1:16Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your do-ings from before Mine eyes, cease to do evil.
It is because water embodies some of the important themes of Tishrei, such as life, cleansing, and teshuva, that it was viewed as an integral part of the Rosh Hashana experience.
In addition to its connection to life and teshuva, Rosh Hashana is also the day on which we crown Hashem as King, and Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, explains that, historically, kings of Israel were anointed by the water.18
קיצור שולחן ערוך סימן קכט:סעיף כאועוד יש טעם מפני שאנו ממליכים היום את הקדוש - ברוך - הוא עלינו והדרך הוא למשוח את המלכים אצל הנהר לרמז שתמשך
מלכותו
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 129:21And there is yet another reason: For we crown the Holy One Blessed Be He upon us on this day and the way to crown kings is by the river to hint that his reign shall continue.
Just as water, and specifically a spring, bursts forth and continues to flow, kings were crowned by the water so that they would be blessed with a reign that would continue to flow. It is appropriate to visit a body of water on the day when we crown Hashem and recognize that His reign will continue to flow unto eternity. Some even suggest the fusion of this coronation symbol with the other, more central coronation tool, the shofar, by mandating that the shofar be blown during Tashlich by the water.
Rosh Hashana is Hashem’s coronation day since it is the anniversary of the end of the process of the creation of the world which is intrinsically tied to water as well. The process of creation began when Hashem produced order amidst the chaos of the primordial waters19 and rolled back the waters that overran the earth making room for life and humanity.20 When humanity descended into chaos and immorality, waters once again overran the earth during the flood in the time of Noah. Following the deluge, Hashem, through His compassion, saved humanity by, once again, causing the waters to recede giving way to life embodied by the olive branch that the dove finds and by the resettlement of Noach and his family.21 The natural order demands that water continue to cover over the entire planet. It is only because of the compassion of Hashem that the waters remain confined to rivers, lakes, and oceans and that there are areas of land for human beings to inhabit. This constant involvement of Hashem in sustaining life in this world by controlling water is expressed by King David:
תהלים פרק קד: טגבול שמת בל יעברון בל ישובון לכסות הארץ
Tehilim 104:9Thou didst set a bound which they should not pass over, that they might not return to cover the earth.
Rabbi Moshe Isserles, the Rema, in his work Torat HaOlah22 suggests that when a person visits a body of water during Tashlich on Rosh Hashana he or she can be reminded of Hash-em’s great compassion in granting life to humanity at every moment. This realization may serve as a catalyst for thinking about one’s relationship with Hashem and one’s thankfulness for Hashem’s many gifts. One may appreciate that Hashem is infinitely compassionate not only in this way but in all ways. This type of thinking is integral to the process of teshuva and to the contemplation of one’s deeds and one’s life path.
Customs are important and symbolic acts are powerful. While Tashlich may be “just” a custom, its symbolism is rich and can provide the bedrock for a deep and meaningful Rosh Hashana. It may just be the kind of action that can inspire the inner thought process and emotional response necessary for a person to truly absorb the themes of the day. It may be what stirs a person to act upon that feeling in order to ensure positive change and a profound relationship with Hashem. It may be a means towards getting the most out of the holiest days of the calendar, paving the way for a life-filled year ahead.
Hashem is metaphorically waiting for our teshuva by the banks of the sea, waiting for us to take the plunge into the waters of life and the waters of purity. It is up to us to take those first brave steps towards the great reservoir of being and allow it to carry us to great places.
notes:1One example from Tanach of how the “depths of the sea” symbolizes a place where things are lost and as far away as possible is the book of Yonah. Yonah runs as far away as possible from his prophetic mission and runs to the sea. To capture the emotion of all hope being lost and being forlorn Yonah says: “For Thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, and the flood was round about me; all Thy waves and Thy billows passed over me. And I said: ‘I am cast out from before Thine eyes’; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.” (Yonah 2:4-5). Being cast away is synonymous with being in the depths of the sea. In the case of Yonah it was bad to be in the depths but in the case of sin it is good that they shall be cast that far away.2These verses are recited at the end of the reading of the Book of Yonah as part of the Haftarah for Yom Kippur afternoon. They are also recited as part of the Selichot service throughout the High Holiday period. They are verses central to the philosophy of Hashem’s compassion and forgiveness.3See below4Rashi, Talmud Shabbat 81b s.v. “hai parpisa”5Hashem’s main message to Yonah about His mercy upon humanity is conveyed through the Kikyaon: something planted in the ground which is here one day and gone the next just like the sprout which is planted and then uprooted. Yonah was thrown into the ocean to
continued on page 12
12 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
continued on page 12
teach him a lesson of teshuva and this sprout is thrown into the water as well to teach human beings a lesson about teshuva.6Rema OC 583:27As cited originally by Maharil and as echoed by Rema on Shulchan Aruch OC 583:2.8As seen in many Machzorim9Mateh Ephraim, Rabbi Ephraim Zalman Margolies, OC 598:410Maharil quotes this practice implying that the reason has less to do with casting away sins and more to do with getting the fish to rise to the surface. This is tied to some of the reasons cited for the custom of Tashlich. See below. Maharil notes his objection to throwing bread, as many after him do as well, on halachic grounds. Feeding animals or fish that one does not own is prohibited rabbinically on Shabbat. This is discussed by Talmud Shabbat 155b and cited by the Shulchan Aruch in OC 324.11The Talmud in Tractate Horayot 12a and Keritut 6a speaks about the concept of “simana milta hi” of the auspicious nature of seeing or eating squash and fenugreek and leeks and beets and dates on Rosh Hashana. As Rabbi Menachem Meiri explains in Chibur HaTeshuva, we don’t believe that eating these items actually can change our fate, but, rather, the sighting of these foods associated with certain mnemonic devices that recall blessings might stir us to pray for them and work towards them in the year to come. The use of symbolic actions, simanim, is related to the common medieval Jewish belief, famously elucidated by the Sefer HaChinuch, of “acharei hapeulot nimshachim halevavot,” “after the actions the heart is drawn.” The physical actions we take influence the way that we think and feel. In this case, the symbolic acts that have to do with forgiveness, and sweetness and life, are supposed to influence the human being to feel drawn after those ideas and work to achieve them and to pray for them.12Tanchuma: Vayera 22. It is also cited in other Midrashic works such as Yalkut Shimoni Vayera 9913Sefer Minhagim, Minhag Shel Rosh Hashana14Talmud Sotah 36b explains that fish are covered over by the water so the ayin hara cannot dominate them just like all things covered.15Shnei Luchot Habrit, Masechet Rosh Hashana Amud HaDin16Siman 82017For example: Breishit 26:19, Vayikra 14:5, and Bamidbar 19:1718For example, King David instructs that his son Shlomo be brought to the Gihon Spring to be crowned: Kings I 1:33-3819Breishit 1:2 “Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of
the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.”20Breishit 1:6-10 “And God said: ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. And God said: ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good.”21Breishit 8:6-11 “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. …And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth”22Torat Haolah 3:56
Rabbi, continued from page 11
September-December 2017 138
Chevra Kadisha, continued from page 6
Within the Women’s Chevra, this role is a paid position. “Women can specify days or times of the week or make such stipulations as, for example, that they don’t want to do a tahara on a child or someone who had an autopsy,” Devorah said.
The Women’s Chevra Kadisha aims to have a minimum of 150 women on the list of volunteers, though not all are fully active at any given time. “We try to carpool with at least two women coming from the same neighborhood,” she added.
The Men’s Chevra Kadisha system is set up on a weeknight basis. Each night has a different coordinator, and between 10 and 15 men have volunteered to be available on each of the designated nights of the week. The funeral home in need calls the central point of contact, Menashe Katz. This allows Katz, a kohen, to participate in the Men’s Chevra Kadisha without being near a dead body. After the call comes in from the funeral parlor to the Men’s Chevra Kadisha and the
information is relayed to the appropriate night’s coordina-tor, that coordinator will usually send out an e-mail to the volunteers assigned to that night.
Dean has been volunteering with the Men’s Chevra Kadi-sha for about 20 years, having learned the mitzvah from Art Boyars, a long-standing member. But Dean was first exposed to working with deceased individuals when he worked for a summer at Holy Cross Hospital, assisting in the ER and the morgue.
There are about 50 men on the roster; again, not all are ac-tive at any given time. The Men’s Chevra is always looking for additional men and wants to add to whatever night roster the person is willing to join. “People are always retiring or step-ping away from the role for one reason or another, so there is always a need to add,” Dean says.
Both Chevrot perform taharot whenever they are needed, including Fridays before Shabbat and on Saturday nights.
It is with heartfelt gratitude to the KMS Community
that we sincerely thank you for your continued support, love, compassion and comfort
as we mourn the passing of our beloved mother,mother-in-law, and grandmother,
Leona Haimowitz, z”l.
She is a source of great joy, light and inspiration in our lives. May her memory be for a blessing.
Sheryl Porat and Family
continued on page 14
14 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Much of what is performed during a tahara represents customs that are passed down within a community, the Graysons said. As part of the ritual, at the beginning and end of a tahara, a member of the Chevra Kadisha asks the mait (deceased) and his or her family for mechilah (pardon). Dean finds it mean-ingful to be one of the last people to interact with a deceased individual. “I’ve done taharot for many people I knew, but that doesn’t make me more uncomfortable,” he said. “If anything, I feel more compassionate. It’s more of a privilege to do a tahara for someone you knew.”
Newcomers—male or female—are welcome to observe for as many taharot as they would like before making a decision to be an active participant in the process. It’s all hands-on training, but occasionally, Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, a world-renowned expert on tahara and Chevra Kadisha and founder and direc-tor of the National Association of Chevra Kadisha, comes to Silver Spring to provide practical training with a mannequin.
A newcomer to the Chevra Kadisha won’t be tasked to make
difficult decisions, like what to do in cases of a feeding tube, or an autopsy, or other circumstances in which the condition of the deceased presents an unusual situation. In some cases, the leader will call to consult with either a physician or Rabbi Zohn. Local Rabbis Rosenbaum and Walter are the halakhic consultants.
The volunteers performing a tahara “work as a team, and look out for one another, both in matters of personal safety and in ensuring the tahara is performed properly. Collectively, the team is trying to perform this mitzvah in the most respectful manner possible,” Dean said.
The majority of people who volunteer to observe “don’t find it as daunting as they feared,” he added.
The Chevrot Kadisha do taharot wherever they are needed including at funeral homes in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. They belong to the Jewish Funeral Practices Committee, which allows them to perform taharot in the funeral homes contracted with the committee. The Chevrot Kadisha are under the supervision of the Vaad of Greater Washington.
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Chevra Kadisha, continued from page 13
September-December 2017 158
We wish you all
a sweet and healthy year ahead
filled with much success and fulfillment
לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו
Brahm and Elana Weinberg
16 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Lisa And Alec Stone Aviva, Arianna, Ayden, & Aryeh
September-December 2017 178
A happy, healthy, and sweet New Year for the entire community.
Shana Tova
Sharona and Leo RozmarynAdina, David, Gavriel, Ayelet,
Chananya, NaavaYair, Tommi, Lucy, Charlie
Yakov Jake
18 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
May you enjoy the blessings of peace,
prosperity, good health and happiness
in the coming year.
לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו
Ina and Larry Lerman
September-December 2017 198
Ha
pp
y J
ew Y
ea
r!
Tea
m F
inla
nd
20 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Shana Tova
to the entire KMS Community.
Miriam andAchi,
Sharona, Judah and Benjamin Guggenheim
September-December 2017 218
Shana Tova to our family, friends
and the KMS community
With best wishes,
Jen, Joel, David and Sarah Tabin
22 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Wishing everyone a year filled with
joy and fulfillment
Sandi and Isi Teitelbaum
September-December 2017 238
Shana Tova
Wishing everyone a year
of peace and prosperity
Deena and Benny BerkowitzDevora, Ayelet, Akiva,Esther and Shoshana
24 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Call Today For My Free Market Analysis
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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing to thank you for all the support you have given me over these past years.
As we look forward to the New Year, I am filled with a sense of gratitude to see how well our community has grown over the years. I see so many flourishing institutions filled with enthusiastic, talented and energetic leaders in our Kemp Mill.
We moved to Kemp Mill over 45 years ago, Mel, taking a position as a mathematician in the Naval Ordnance Lab in White Oak. After several years of part-timing in elementary school education, I started as a newly minted agent over 35 years ago. It was a step into the unknown. I had no idea about business or how to run a real estate business. I only knew that I had a poorly informed experience in buying my first home and I believed I could do better for others.
Soon, Mel became my “Director of Marketing” and over time, we built a successful business and Team. By now, if you read our publications, you know that Mel loves realtime data. He tells me that this year, I will likely mark a major accomplishment of reaching over five hundred million dollars in closed real estate sales. That is a grand number for marketing purposes but, for me, the reports that always inspire me the most are those that focus on the number of families settled.
It amazes me that I have sold over a 1,000 homes across Montgomery County. But by far, my most meaningful sales are those in the Greater Kemp Mill Community, where I live and am constantly meeting and interacting with former buyers and sellers and making many new friends. My career settlements of over 550 Homes Sold (and an additional 100 homes rented) in Greater Kemp Mill (Estates, Farms, Forest), Springbrook Forest and University Towers means that I have touched the lives of so many residents, either coming or going. It is a daily inspiration to be part of this Kemp Mill Community that has become the destination goal for many families. I constantly get calls from people across the U.S. wanting to move to Kemp Mill, simply because they have heard how great a community we have. I am sure you agree!
I want to say thank you, to all who have used or referred my professional services or those of my Team. We value those referrals and we always seek to do our best for your friends, family or neighbors.
Mel joins me in wishing the entire Kemp Mill Community continued growth and success. May we all merit to see Nachas from our families and Nachas from each other.
Wishing You a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.
Barbara & Mel Ciment12205 Kemp Mill Rd
Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year
September-December 2017 258
Barbara CimentAssociate Broker, RealtorLong & Foster Real Estate, Inc 6000 Executive Blvd, Suite 100North Bethesda, MD 20852 Office: 301-468-0606
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The Barbara Ciment TeamBarbara Ciment & Mel Ciment, and My Buyer Specialists, Both Top Producers Emily Lurie and Judi Taragin Shields
26 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Shana Tova from
Karen, Jeff,Reena, Estie,
Ariel and Reyut Wasserstein
September-December 2017 278
Wishing the entire KMS community a
Shana Tovah
Orlee and Joey Turitz
Elan & Ora, Yael, Alia and Nadiv
28 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Best wishes
to the entire KMS community
and all of Klal Yisrael
for a New Year of health, happiness and peace.
Donna and Jeff Lawrence
September-December 2017 298
Shana Tova
to the entire KMS community.
Sharon and Jay Mazel
Daniella, Arianne, Kira, and Sophia
30 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
We pray for a year of blessings and peace
for our community, Klal Yisrael,
and all mankind.
Sabine and Chaim Himmelfarb and family
September-December 2017 318
לשנה טובה תכתבו
We wish everyone a New Year of
good health, meaning, spirituality,
peace and success.
Sarah and Buddy SternBezalel, Deborah and Sam
Noam, Ali and OriJeremy, Rachel, Eden and Aviya
32 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Wishing Rabbi and Elana Weinbergand family and the entire KMS community
a happy, healthy, and greatNew Year
Hope and David Taragin
Benjamin and Lauren
September-December 2017 338
With best wishes for a Shana Tova.
Sharon & David Butler
34 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
We wish all our family and friends at KMS
a happy and healthy New Year.
Laura and Sheldon Margulies
September-December 2017 358
Warm wishes
for a happy and sweet new year,
Shira and Dan Schwartz,
Noa, Keren, and Maya
36 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
G’mar hatima tova!
A happy, sweet, healthy and prosperous
New Year to all!
Carrie, Jeffrey and Rena Gluck
September-December 2017 378
Best wishes to the entire KMS community
for a happy, healthy, and successful year
לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו
Jeanne, Jonathan, Ari, and Liora Rosenberg
38 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Best wishes for
a sweet, happy and healthy year!
Gail Javitt and Sam Osofsky,
Anna Rose, Ezra, Noah and Mali
September-December 2017 398
With great appreciationto the KMS members and staff who
make our wonderful High Holidays possible
Lauren Shaham and Ariel Winter
Ilana and Natan
40 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Shana1 Tovah Umetukah to the
Kemp Mill Synagogue community!
Tina, Neil,
Naomi, Zara and Maya Rosenbaum
September-December 2017 418
Have a happy and healthy new year!
Shana Tova!
Reva, Viktor,
Allegra, Isaac and Ezra Beletskiy
42 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
We wish the entire KMS community
a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
שנה טובה ומתוקה
Chava and Joey Elbaum,
Claire, Molly, and Max
September-December 2017 438
תזכו לשנים רבותMay we all merit a year of good health,
happiness and peace.
Nancy and Pesach MehlmanShlomo Mehlman
Rivka and Tani Friedman, Rayna, Chloe and UriRivky and Yoni Mehlman and Yitzchak
Moshe Mehlman
44 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
Thank you to the entire KMS communityfor your friendship and support over the last 12 years.
KMS was our home,and you, our family, will be sorely missed.
Wishing you all a Shana Tova.
Debby, Avi, Sammy, Saadya, Nesya and Yamin Levitt
Wishing a joyous and sweet New Yearto all of our friends
and to the entire KMS community.May Hashem bless us
with good health and peace.
Sheila and Allen Gaisin
September-December 2017 458
DONATIONSIN MEMORY OF
Sylvia Solomon, z”lAnita and Mel Plotinsky
Andy Reitberger, z”lMichele and Isaac Reitberger
Kms Youth Fund
Rita Walker (Rivka Bat Reuven)Avi, Atara and Arella Mayer
stone Chumash
Abba Walker(Avraham Abba ben Shlomo)Avi, Atara and Arella Mayer
hirsCh Chumash
Walter MayerAvi, Atara and Arella Mayer
hirsCh Chumash
Isador Riebman, z”lJudy and Barry Riebman
Nathaniel Schwartz,Judith Schwartz,
Joshua Isaac Schwartz,Mordecai SchwartzJoshua Schwartz
rabbi’s disCretionarY Fund
Dana Johnson Gorlin, z”lClaire and Adi Haramati
Sabine and Chaim HimmelfarbAnn Wimpfheimer and
Eddie SnyderMark Goldsteen
Lauren Shaham andAriel Winter
Mickey Lawrence, z”lVera and Bernard Ehrlich
Ronna Eisenberg andSteve Rabinowitz
Claire and Adi HaramatiLeora and George Hellman
Michelle and Jonathan SchneckKoren siddur
Malcolm Osborne, z”lBenjamin Osborne
Yaakov Shalom ben Eliyahu, z”lRachel and Chanoch Kanovsky
Dr. Avi Karkowsky, z”lNancy Karkowsky
Miriam Tenembaum, z”lMarina and Paul Denicoff
Gail Javitt and Sam Osofsky
Faye Kaporovsky, z”lMalka Grinkorn
Rabbi Amnon Haramati, z”lAngie and Robert Liberman
Carol and Harold FinkelAnita and Mel Plotinsky
Liza PoratlibrarY Fund
Freda Gelbtuch, z”lRonna Eisenberg and
Steve RabinowitzKeren haseFer torah Fund
Phil Feigenbaum, z”lAdele and George Berlin
Leona Haimowitz, z”lTamar and Jeremy Epstein
Lisa and Alec StoneGordon lederman memorial WeeKend
Barbara and Mel CimentlibrarY Fund
Laura and Sheldon Margulies
Stefanie Lauer, z”lTamar and Jeremy Epstein
Naomi Baum and Saul NewmanRebekah and Avi Rasooly
Keren haseFer torah Fund
Marcy and Tsvi Lieberrabbi’s disCretionarY Fund
Sarah and Buddy Stern
Dr. Mark Dine, z”lTamar and Jeremy Epstein
Sarah and Buddy SternAnn Wimpfheimer and
Eddie SnyderMindy and Noam Levinrabbi’s disCretionarY Fund
Naomi Baum and Saul NewmanSharona and Leo RozmarynLinda and Elliott Klonsky
Lisa and Alec StoneVic Jacobson
IN HONOR OF
The Women’s Tefillah GroupHilary Dalin
The Women who plan the Rosh Chodesh evenings
Diane Hamou andBezalel Zarfaty
Marilyn and Don SchwartzartsCroll siddur
Dalya Offer’s bat mitzvahAdina and Ari Goldberg
Rachel and Danit Snow’sbat mitzvah
Tamar and Jeremy Epstein
Noah Osofsky’s bar mitzvahTamar and Jeremy Epstein
Arnie Schwartz’s birthdayShira and Dan Schwartz
Judah Guggenheim’s layning at shiva minyanim
Beth and Jeff Adler
The Bereavement CommitteeBeth and Jeff Adler
Amalia Diament’s engagement to Ariel Hochman
Lauren Shaham andAriel Winter
Donna and Jeff Lawrence
46 Kol MevaSer, Kemp Mill Synagogue
DONATIONS
David Lowenstein’s tremendous commitment to KMSLauren Shaham and
Ariel Winter
Riva Lerman’s bat mitzvahMichael Lerman
The birth of a granddaughter to Marcy and Tsvi Lieber
Vera and Bernard ErlichAnita and Mel Plotinsky
Hope Taragin, with thanks for your friendship and support
Marcy Lieber
Marci Bloch, with thanks for your friendship and support
Marcy Lieber
Audrey Siegel, with thanks for your friendship and support
Marcy Lieber
Marcy and Josh Wolf, with thanks for your wonderful friendship and
supportMarcy Lieber
Talya Bock and Rafi Cohen on the birth of
Judy and Eliot Cohen’s new granddaughter, Vivian Frieda
(Vered Shlomit)Vic Jacobson
librarY Fund
Donna and Jeff LawrencebooK nooK
Sabine and Chaim Himmelfarb, in recognition for being honored
at the KMS banquet,and for all that they do
Angie and Robert Libermanrabbi’s disCretionarY Fund
Yonatan Abrams’ engagement to Hannah Cowen
Anita and Mel PlotinskyMarilyn and Don Schwartz
The birth of a grandson to Ina and Larry Lerman
Angie and Robert Libermanrabbi’s disCretionarY Fund
The birth of a new granddaughter to Judy and David Pollack
Sharona and Leo Rozmaryn
The birth ofbaby boy Rozmaryn #2 to
Jackie and Esther RozmarynSharona and Leo Rozmaryn
The upcoming marriage ofDaniella Murch to Jeremy Presser
Mindy and Noam Levin
TO OUR SPECIAL FUNDS
Rabbi’s Discretionary FundMarcy and Tsvi LieberSheila and Allen Gaisin
Library FundBarbara and Mel Ciment
Stone ChumashSabine and Chaim Himmelfarb
Keren Hasefer FundNatanya Noble and Ron Murch
Rebekah and Avi RasoolyRich and Toby MunzAbie and Rikki Reifer
Jacob Meisler
September-December 2017 478
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Wishing my KMS family a happy, healthy and sweet new year.
Thank you for your friendship, referrals and trust over the years. -Adam
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KEMP MILL SYNAGOGUE11910 Kemp Mill RoadSilver Spring, Maryland 20902
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Yaakov Bieler, Rabbi Ed Tolchin, President
Nat Shaffir, Executive DirectorBeth Lichy, Administrator
Rabbi Ezra Starr, Youth Director
Kol MevaSer Editorial BoardJonathan GronerAchi Guggenheim
Gail JavittMel Plotinsky
Jennifer Zukerman
Next Issue: Chanukah November 2017-March 2018
www.kmsynagogue.org 301-593-0996 [email protected]
Brahm Weinberg, RabbiAlec Stone, President
Mindy Levin, Interim Executive DirectorRachel Stein, Administrator
Emily Friedman, Special Projects Manager
Kol MevaSer Editorial BoardBarbara Trainin Blank
Risë GoldsteinGail JavittTsvi Lieber
Mel Plotinsky