From The Rabbi’s Study…Shabbat, June 7, 2024/Rosh Chodesh Sivan (Omer 45)
Erev of Shavuot (Omer 49) will be on June 11, Shavuot will be on June 12-13.
It was the 80th Commemoration of the D-Day On Normandy beach in France in WWII.
May their bravery, lives, and service be for a blessing.
May everyone continue to give Honor and Respect to all our Armed Forces and Veterans. It is sad to say many do not learn about the history of World War II (the Greatest Generation) or the Holocaust. So, we have to continue to teach and remember and commemorate!)
Shavuot/Z’man Matan Toratenu -The Giving of Our Torah
The holiday is one of the three major festivals; Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
The Megillat Ruth is read on Shavuot. Ruth was the first to convert to Judaism. Ruth was given the honor by HaShem (השם) to become the grandmother of the future King David of the Jewish People!
Beit Chaverim is welcoming Cantor Sam Cohen on Tuesday, June 11 at the home of Andy and Ellen Margles, kindly R.S.V.P if you are attending this beautiful service.
Keeping with the Jewish Tradition of Shavuot only serving dairy foods, fruits and vegetables are served. The reason is the Israelites received the Torah.
Shavuot Torah Readings: Day I (Exodus 19-1-20:23), Second Day (Numbers 28:26-31).
The Torah portion continues with G-d commands Moses to take a census of the entire Israelite community. The arrangement of the Israelite camp and order of march. Also, is the Levites and their duties.
As a Jewish nation we needed to organize our people and have an army. All fighting age men were counted. The arrangement around the tabernacle (where the Tablets of the Ten Commandments were kept) were the twelve tribes. Several censuses were taken and may be found in the Torah. Ancient sages asked why this was done. The Torah (Numbers Rabbah 2:19) says that it was to demonstrate G-d’s love for the Jewish people.
Just like a king who adores and caresses his possesses of an amazing treasure, G-d is like a king, and takes into His hands each day all of us and makes sure nothing is lost
Today, one does not count Jewish people because during the Holocaust our people were not only counted but given a tattoo with numbers. Jews need ten people (some sects of the Jewish people only men form a minyan) to obtain a minyan to pray. One would count by saying “Not One, not two”…etc. G-d loves to count His Jewish people, and with each counting declares, “ I have created the magnificent stars of the universe, yet it is Israel who will do My Will.”
Today, Israel is still fighting a war against the heinous attack by the Hamas terrorists and Hezbollah. It now appears that each week the IDF finds dead hostages in the over 700 tunnels in Rafah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the State of Israel will be speaking before Congress. Some of the congressional leaders do not want him to come because they believe he is a War criminal. Nothing can be further than the truth. Israel was attacked and over 1200 civilians were slaughtered and over 140 were taken hostage. Each human being is precious and each life COUNTS!
We are counting the days from Passover to Shavuot, and the Jewish people are counting the days until ALL PEOPLE ARE FREE AND RETURN HOME!
May we see the day that there will be no wars, “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Lo Yisa Goy), and that peace flows like a mighty stream. (paraphrase from Amos 5;24)
Shabbat Shalom v’ Am Ysrael Chai,
Rabbi Helene Ainbinder
