Pine Street Parsha Parashat Chayei Sarah 15 November 2014 22 Cheshvan 5775 SIDRA 106 HAFTORAH 1136 1st Aliya: Avraham negotiates with Ephron the Hitite to purchase the Cave of Machpelah as a burial place for Sarah. Tradition says that this is also the burial place of Adam and Chava. 2nd Aliya: Avraham sends Eliezar, his trusted servant, to Aram Naharayim, (between the Tigris and the Euphrates) to find Yitzchak a shiduch - a bride. 3rd Aliya: Leading a caravan of supplies and riches, Eliezar arrives in Nachor. While resting by "the well", he devises a test to ascertain the worthiness of a potential mate for Yitzchak. Rivkah (Yitzchak's 1st cousin once removed) meets all the criteria and Eliezar presents her with the appropriate gifts. 4th Aliya: Eliezar is invited into Bisuel's home (Rivkah's father) and he relates the entire story of his mission and his encounter with Rivkah. Eliezar asks for her hand in marriage to Yitzchak. Bisuel and Lavan (Rivka's brother) agree. 5th Aliya: Rivkah express her desire to depart immediately. Her family blesses her, and Eliezar brings her to Canaan. Yitzchak marries Rivka in the year 2108. 6th & 7th Aliyot: Avraham marries Keturah (some say she was Hagar) and has 6 more sons. Avarham dies in 2123 - 1638 b.c.e. at the age of 175. His two sons Yitzchak and Yishmael bury him in the Cave of Machpelah. Yishmael's 12 sons are listed and Yishmael dies at 137. 100 1067 Self-Conversations That Enable You to Reach Your Important Goals What is the major difference between people who accomplish and achieve a great deal and people who don't? The answer to this question can make a major difference in your life. Those who accomplish and achieve have goals and take the actions necessary to reach those goals. In contrast, people without clear goals don't have a target to reach. Every single person with great accomplishments and achievements has made goals. Many write them down. Some don't. But they are very clear about what they want. What important goals do you want to reach? If you don't have a clear idea right now, make it your goal to make a clear goal. One of the most accomplished people I've ever met told me that he decided to write down 101 goals for himself. Since he had so many goals, he was certain that he would reach many of them. And each goal that he reached encouraged him to think that he would be able to reach many more goals. It was amazing to see how he kept finding opportunities and resources that enabled him to reach his most important goals. See yourself reaching your goals. Feel what it will be like when you achieve your worthwhile goals. Take action in the direction of your goals. Other people might feel overwhelmed by a large number of goals. They might be telling themselves, "There is so much I want to do and there is only a limited amount of time to do it all." For them, a single, relatively easy-toreach goal might be best. Then they can make another goal that they find easy to reach, and then another one. This way they can build up an inner attitude of, "I am a person who makes and reaches goals." Then they can make larger and larger goals. Believe that with the Almighty's help you will be able to reach the goals for which you strive. Your self-conversations about your goals will either enable you to reach them or will prevent you from reaching them. Regardless of your past self-conversations, right at this moment you can decide, "I will talk to myself in ways that enable me to make and reach important goals." Phone 011640 3101 fax 011485 2510 email [email protected] web www.pineshul.co.za Shiurim: Mazeltov to: Carol Moss on the birth of a grandson. Details of all Shiurim are on the Notice Board. Mazeltov to: Howard and Jenny Evans on the Barmitzvah of their grandson Ilan, son of Saul and Hayley Haberer to take place tis Shabbat at the Linksfield Shul. Refua Shleima to: Janice Friedland, Mary Kruger, Dave Lubner, Boetie Shifren, Denise Levitas and Adam Gelman. Lettuce show you what’s Kosher! Fruit and vegetable myths “Debugged” Demonstrator – Pinchas Goldberg. Wednesday 26 November 2014 in the Hall at 7pm. Please RSVP to [email protected]. Cost R20. Sharon Lurie – The Kosher Butcher’s Wife will be doing a salad demo as well as giving away free recipes on the night. We look forward to seeing you. Celebrating a Simcha – For only R540-00 you can have a plaque done for our Simcha Board and celebrate your Simcha for life!. Please call Sue at the office for more details. PRAYERPRO Weekday – A pronunciation Primer for the Siddur. DVD by Rabbi Gerson. Cost – R120-00. Please call Sue at the Office. We wish those families commemorating a Yahrzeit a long and good life Friday 14 November 2014 Dennis & Iris Cohen – Hilda Jacobson Norman Sifris – Father Eta Smith – Husband Shabbas 15 November 2014 Albert Jacks – Mother Hymie Kalish – Wife Wolfie Lack – Father Marcelle Stein – Mother Beryl Katz – Mother Sunday 16 November 2014 Serwyn Angel – Aunt Philip Gersun – Father Myron Katz – Father Elsie Kirk-Cohen – Husband Dennis & Iris Cohen – Paul Levy Monday 17 November 2014 Val Aarons – Mother-in-law Tuesday 18 November 2014 Leone Segal – Brother Wednesday 19 November 2014 Freda Davidoff – Husband Alter Karpes – Uncle Rhona Bayer – Father Thursday 20 November 2014 Larry Distiller – Wife Natalie Koren – Mother Leora Kallner – Father Leone Segal – Husband Friday 21 November 2014 Malka Duke – Grandfather Dennis Goldman – Myrtle Rhona Galgut – Mother Shabtai Salitan – Father Phyllis Selbst – Brother-in-law The Haftorah for Parshat Chayei Sara The Haftorah is read from the book of Melachim Aleph (Kings 1) 1:1-31 Map: The Haftorah takes place in Jerusalem. In honor of his coronation, Adoniyahu sacrificed animals at the “Even Hazochelet” that was next to Ain Rogel. Melachim Aleph, Pasuk 9. What was the Even Hazochelet and where was Ain Rogel? B”H I am feeling much better. The whole process was not as bad as it was made out to be. The medical staff were professional, attentive and pleasant. Thank you for all your good wishes and prayers. Your positive energies have certainly made a beneficial difference to my recovery. Ain Rogel (spring or well), situated then near running water, is located at the South East tip of Jerusalem on the border of Judah and Binyamin, where kings were anointed in that day. Some commentaries believe that Ain Rogel was where women would go to wash their family’s clothes using their feet or in Hebrew “Regel”. The Even Hazochelet of Serpent Stone: Hazochelet means “Shrink back, crawl or slide”. Some believe that young boys would compete in a game to see who could push the stone the farthest. Because the stone was so big, they could only push it a short distance. Shabbat Shalom The connection of the Haftorah to the Parsha: In this week’s Torah reading of Chayei Sarah, we are told of Avraham's (Abraham) old age and the Haftorah speaks of King David's last years. The storyline of this week’s Haftorah: In return for tearing off the corner of King Saul’s (Saul) robe, King David always felt a chill in his bones. The Haftorah begins with the story of King David being brought a beautiful woman named Avishag in order to warm him in his elder years. She came from the city of Shunem and possibly was the sister of the Shunamite Woman mentioned in last week’s Haftorah, although there was a least 100 years that separated the two sisters) . Even though it is not his place, King David's eldest sons, Adoniyahu (it was common to end Hebrew names with Ya’hu. Translated, it means “the [Jewish] G-d is the one”) was trying to seize the throne away from his younger brother Shlomo. One of the wives of King David, Queen Batsheva (Bathsheba), Shlomo‘s mother and the Prophet Natan (Nathan), confer regarding Adoniyahu’s will to become king. They decide to bring it to King David's attention. Natan confirms to David the news that Batsheva has told him regarding Adoniyahu’s ambition. Bathsheba pleads with David to fulfill his promise of her son Shlomo (Solomon) being heir to the throne. Kind David promises Batsheva to rectify the situation. He takes action by anointing Shlomo as the next King of Israel. · King David's Biography: · The meaning of his name is "beloved." · Was a descendant of Ruth the Moabite. Rabbi Gerson Havdalah 7. 07 pm David's father's name was Ishay; his mother's name Nitzevet bat Adel. David was a "Gingie" (a redhead). As a youth, David was a shepherd, tending to flocks of sheep. · A warrior, David killed lions with his bare hands and is famous for killing Goliath with a single slingshot. · Was a musician who played music to calm Shaul (former King of Israel, and David's father in law). David was the faithful friend of Jonathan, King Saul’s son. · Cleared the way to build the first Bait Hamikdash (Holy Temple). · His son was King Shlomo (Solomon) known as the wisest man that ever lived and ruled. · Composed Tehillim (Psalms), the most popular words worldwide used to pray. · The Mashiach (Messiah) will be a descendant of King David. Rabbi Berel Wein on Parshas Chayei Sarah The loss of one’s beloved spouse, especially after many years and decades of marriage and shared life, is always a traumatic and shattering blow. Those of us, who unfortunately have also experienced this in our own lives, can testify as to the emotional damage and even physical harm that this sad experience can occasion. We see from the life of our father Jacob that even decades later he reminds his children and himself of the pain and suffering caused by the death of his beloved wife, Rachel. In essence, it seems that Jacob never again was the same person after the death of Rachel. Avraham apparently dealt with the death of Sarah in a more stoic fashion. The Torah itself indicates this by inference. In reference to Avraham’s reaction to the tragedy, a small letter kaf is used to describe the grief and weeping of Avraham over the death of Sarah. It is not that Avraham is less grieved at the loss of Sarah than Jacob was at the death of Rachel. It is rather that after all of the challenges and trials that Avraham had endured his attitude towards life and its vicissitudes was affected – he now always looked forward and never dwelt on the past. Those who live exclusively in the past are doomed to self-pity and great emotional angst. This only causes a sense of victimhood and hopelessness. It reflects itself in every aspect of later life and stunts any further spiritual, social, personal or societal growth. The greatness of Avraham, as taught us by the Mishnah, was his resilience and continued spiritual and personal growth. Avraham constantly looked forward, ahead – never dwelling on past misfortune. I heard an outstanding speech delivered by George Deek, who is a Christian Arab and member of the Israeli Foreign Office. In telling the story of his life, he describes how his family lived in Jaffa for many generations and how they fled to Lebanon during the 1948 War of Independence. Sensing the squalor and political manipulation of the refugees by the Arab powers, whose sole goal was the destruction of Israel and not saving and resettling the refugees, his grandfather escaped Lebanon and somehow brought the family back to Jaffa and Israel. He regained his job with the Israel Electric Company and raised generations of successful professionals, all citizens of Israel. He said that the Jewish refugees from Europe and the Moslem world attempted to forget their past and build a new future for themselves and their descendants when they arrived in Israel. The Palestinian Arab refugees, under the misguided leadership of their spiritual and temporal heads, reveled instead in their past defeats and in their legend of nakba. In the main, they have devoted themselves to attempting to destroy Israel instead of rehabilitating themselves. This attitude and mindset has served them badly and cost them dearly. The past needs to be remembered and recalled, treasured and instructive to us. However, it is the future and what we make of it that ultimately determines our worth and our fate. That is one of the great lessons to be derived from the story of the life of our father Avraham.
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