Parshas Tazria Metzora

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April 13, 2013 3 Iyyar, 5773

Rabbi Frand on Parshas Tazria Metzora

There is a famous Medrash on Parshas Metzorah which tells of a peddler who used to travel around the cities near Tzipori proclaiming that he was selling the "Elixir of Life" (sam Chayim). Crowds used to gather around him to hear more about the product. Rav Yannai also overheard this proclamation and asked the peddler to come over and sell him some of what he was offering. The peddler told Rav Yannai "You and people like you do not need what I am selling." Rav Yannai persisted and insisted he wanted to know what the peddler was selling. The peddler came over, pulled a book of Psalms out of his pocket and showed Rav Yannai the pasuk, "Who is the man who wants life, who loves days of seeing good?... Guard your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from speaking deceit." [Tehillim 34: 1314] Rav Yannai responded, "All my life I read this pasuk and I did not realize how to interpret it until this peddler came along and taught me who the man is who desires life!" The problem with the Medrash is obvious. One does not need to be Rav Yannai to figure out what this pasuk is saying. One can be a simple Jew who knows basic Hebrew. What was so novel about the peddler's interpretation that Rav Yannai found to be so revolutionary? The Chida offers a novel interpretation of the Medrash based on a careful analysis of the words of the peddler. The peddler did not say "Who wants life?" Rather, he advertised his wares by saying "Who wants 'Sam Chaim' (the Elixir of Life)? The Chida suggests that the word 'Sam' (literally drugs or medicine) teaches a great novelty. It would not be anything out of the ordinary to teach that if one wants Life, he should observe Torah and mitzvos. When a person has a tremendous amount of grain, what protects it from being spoiled? There are certain preservatives that may be added to make sure that the grain does not rot. This is the way it is for all foods. Today we have foods that have long shelf-lives because of preservatives, but the basic concept is an idea that goes back centuries in time. The novelty of the peddler's sales pitch was that he had the secret for PRESERVING life. The Chovos HaLevovos

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Shabbat Announcements Parshat Tazria Metzora 5773

teaches something that should give us all tremendous pause: One day we will all go to the Heavenly Court for the great accounting of how we lived our lives. On that frightening day, we will be shown an accounting of all the mitzvos we did during our lives and all the sins we committed. On that day, we will apparently find mistaken entries in the Heavenly Journal. We will find sins that we did not commit attributed to us and we will see mitzvos that we did perform missing from our accounting. Likewise, we will find ourselves receiving credit for mitzvos that we know for a fact we never did! We will protest. We never did these things! G-d will explain to us why mitzvos we never performed are recorded: "This mitzvah was done by someone who slandered you." The way the Heavenly System works is that a person forfeits his own mitzvos to the person about whom he spoke Lashon Harah. This is a very difficult concept to understand. Were this idea not cited by the likes of the Chovos HaLevovos, we might question it. The frightening downside of the system is that not only do we get "free mitzvos" done by those who slandered us, but by the same token, we may lose mitzvos that we spent the better part of our life trying to accomplish, when they are transferred to those about whom we spoke Lashon Hara. We will furthermore have their sins transferred to us! Rav Yosef Karo had in his lifetime many detractors (as was the case with many great men in Jewish history). It was said that an Angel came to learn with him on a regular basis and the Angel told him not to worry about his detractors because eventually he would wind up with the mitzvos done by all of his detractors! The Chovos Levovos writes, "If people were
Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program

aware of this Heavenly System, they would rejoice when someone spoke Lashon Hara against them, instead of being upset!" The Chida explains that this very idea is what the peddler taught Rabbi Yannai. Guarding one's tongue from speaking evil is the medicine that PRESERVEs life. Rav Yannai had thought the intent of the pasuk was teaching that guarding one's tongue is a way to ACQUIRE life i.e. a person gets reward for it like for any other mitzvah. However, the peddler taught him that even someone who has earned great reward stands to lose it by speaking evil. The great novelty of guarding one's lips is that it is a PRESERVATIVE. It is the Elixir which keeps one's reward from being transferred to someone else!

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Zehava & Michael Atlas, Youth Directors Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Dr. Scott Danoff, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

Rabbi Polakoff's 25th Anniversary Shabbat Celebration at GNS

Join us for a Special Shabbat to celebrate Rabbi Dale Polakoff's 25th year at the Great Neck Synagogue on Shabbat April 19-20th 2013. All Minyanim will be davening together; there will be a Tish, Siyum Mishnayot, Kiddush, Luncheon/Program and a Festive Seudat Shlishit Program concluding with Havdalah. Luncheon Cost: Adults $40 | Children $20 (13 and under) Kindergarten and up - Lunch No Charge in Braun Youth Center Please send your Tributes, Stories, Memories and Photos of Rabbi Polakoff from the past 25 years to Mark Twersky at mtwersky@gns.org To participate in the Siyum please go to: http://www.gns.org/archives/7342 Men, women, and families can sign up. Sponsorships available to enhance this special 25th Anniversary Celebration $100, $180, $360,$500, $1000, $1800All Sponsors will be listed in the Program Sponsors $500 or above to include 2 lunch meals. To join one of the committees please contact: Sharon Goldwyn 917 287 7334 sgdesignermom@aol.com Cindy Liebmann 516 680 6420 zishmom@aol.com Thank you!! Name________________________________ Number of adults at $40_________________ Number of children at $20_______________ Total enclosed___________________
I want to be a sponsor $1800____ $1000___$500____$360_____$180___$100___

ANNOUNCEMENTS
GNS UPCOMING EVENTS
SISTERHOOD UPCOMING EVENTS SAVE THE DATE Join us April 10th at 8:00 PM for a * "SPRING AWAKENING:* * to a leaner, healthier, pain free, & allergy free you"* with Claudine Sarraf-Amirian-LaC m.s.t.o.m, Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbalist. Reiki healer and health coach. This interactive workshop will include ancient secrets and modern solutions (including foods, qi gong, herbs, acupuncture and more) to attaining optimum health. SAVE THE DATE - Our Spring Celebration featuring an "Antiques Roadshow" Appraiser, bazaar, and children's program on Sunday May 5th! Bring your family heirlooms and see what they are worth! Volunteers are needed COUPONS FOR LORD & TAYLOR The Sisterhood is pleased to participate in Lord and Taylor's semi-annual Shop Smart Do Good event! Coupon books, can be purchased for $5 each. There are three coupons - two 25% one time use coupons, and one 15% all day pass (this pass includes cosmetics and fragrances!!!). You can use all the coupons Fri. Apr. 19th thru Tues. Apr. 23rd. You can buy the items before the 23rd, but they will hold them for until the 23rd, or up to a week later. This is an amazing opportunity to get discounted cosmetics and other items! Remember, Lord and Taylor carries Ahava products and supports Israel! THE GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE MENS CLUB PRESENTS: PAMELA GELLER ADDRESSING: IMPOSITION OF SHARIA IN AMERICA Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 10:00 am A world renown activist against Islamic Fundamentalism author of "Stop the Islamization of America" Pamela Geller will be talking at our Sunday morning breakfast. She is a sought-after personality and appears regularly on TV and radio. Speaking with Pam Geller, Greg Buckley, Sr. A first-hand accounting by a father of his sons murder at the hands of jihadists. Lance Corporal Gregory Buckley Jr., 21, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marines Division, killed Aug.10, 2012. All welcome no charge. No breakfast available and everyone needs to show a photo ID. APRIL CHESED COLLECTION FOR HACHNASSET KALLAH New kitchen and household items will be collected for Brides from Needy families. Drop off will be at Rabbi and Ellen Polakoff's house, to the left side of garage...(if raining, please call house at 482-8560) Dates will be Sun- Thursday April 8- 11 and April 14- 18 and April 21-25th. MENS CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS: Wed. April 24, 8:00 pm - The next in the Mens Club series of Medical Forums will feature two Cardiologists, Dr. William Frumkin and Dr. Hal Chadow. The topic of the discussion TBA. May 21: Israel Bond Community Event at Temple Israel. Mon, May 27, 7:10PM: We are going to a ball game! The YANKEES vs METS game at Citi Field on Memorial Day. Tickets are only $54 each. Please reserve your seats early! Contact Jack Lipsky jlipsky.lipsk01@insuremail.net or Hilly Milun 504-0320. Sun, June 2, 7:00PM: Author Frieda Korobkin, who was sent as a child by her parents in the "Kindertransport" from Austria to England just before WWII, will speak of her experiences and her book, "Throw Your Feet Over Your Shoulders". Sun. June 30: Annual Fishing Trip. June 12 & 13 Wed. & Thu., Defensive Driving Course: Reduce your auto insurance premiums by taking the Defensive Driving course, which will be held over two evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Limited seating. Please call the shul office for reservations. WE WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Benjamin & Claudine Amirian, Elly & Susan Engelstein, Ari & Net Herman, Ben & Maneli Rabizadeh, Farzin & Tali Sehati

WITHIN OUR FAMILY Mazal Tov to Roslyn & Zachary Dicker on the Bat Mitzvah of their Granddaughter Lauren Sadowski daughter of Joy Dicker & Michael Sadowski in Scarsdale, NY. Mazal Tov to Lilly & Gary Chubak on the birth of a grandson born to their children Keren & Jeff Chubak and to grandparents Walter & Sara Rivka Rosenbaum. Mazal Tov to Robert & Sydelle Knepper on the engagement of their daughter Stephanie to Michael Levy, son of Terri & Dr. Jack Sandler, son of Dr. Mark Levy, zl, of Toronto, Canada.

SAVE THE DATE Shiur in Memory of Belle Goldwyn Z"L Please join the North Shore Mikvah Association for a shiur for women sponsored by Sharon Goldwyn and family in loving memory of her mother, Belle Goldwyn, Z"L in commemoration of her 31st yahrtzeit. The shiur will be given by Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky and entitled, Rosh Chodesh: A Time of Renewal and Rejuvenation. It will take place on April 9th at the home of Talia and Sol Goldwyn - 22 Vista Drive at 7:30 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Suggested donation $36.00 Sponsorships - $100.00 Partnership $180.00. For more information, please email NSMikvah@gmail.com.

SAVE THE NEW DATE: The North Shore Hebrew Academy 58th Annual Journal Dinner will take place on Thursday evening, May 2nd at Citi Field honoring two long time NSHA/NSHAHS board member families and Founding Families of the High School Corinne and Joe Franco & Bonnie and Michael Orbach. Those wishing to place an ad, make a reservation or serve on the dinner committee, please contact Arnie Flatow at aflatow@nsha.org or call the Business Office at 487-868 ext 2. A LIFE SAVING MITZVAH Rabbi Block from Roslyn has asked us to publicize that a member of their community is in need of a kidney transplant and is looking for that special type of person who would literally give the gift of life by donating one of their kidneys. Anybody who is interested to donate please contact Rabbi Block razleeners@aol.com.

GNS MEN'S CLUB BLOOD DRIVE THANKS Sincere thanks to the 63 generous individuals who participated in the GNS Men's Club Blood Drive this past Sunday. Your collective efforts donated 65 units of blood to benefit the ill and injured of our community. Thank you also to the volunteers who helped run the blood drive, including Daniel Bronheim, Milt Mitzner, Sam Levitt, Mark Friedman, Amanda Heisler, Hilly Milun, Brittney, Brianna, Brayden and Bryce Kohler, and Alexander, Oliver and Sophia Rein. Special thanks also to Dario and his crew.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 3 Iyyar Gerry Gut for Janine Leonie Gut Herman Kotler for Esther Kotler Renee Krieger for Esther Kotler Francine Mermelstein for Gitla Zimmerman Ellen Siegel for Morris Givner Marcia Toledano for Isidore Karten Sunday, 4 Iyyar Roslyn Dicker for Max Gottlieb Monday, 5 Iyyar Ronald Braun for Robert Braun Aaron J. Eliach for Ruth Eliach Peter Epstein for Isidore Epstein Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for David Gabbaizadeh Michael Nevens for Saily Nevens Aaron Seligson for Abraham Seligson Roselin Wagner for Reci Prebluda Tuesday 6 Iyyar Sheila Bachman for Florence Gur Halina Greenwald for Pola Salpeter Ephraim Slonim for Jacob Slonim Sam Yehaskel for Lucy Yehaskel Thursday, 8 Iyyar Fay Smith for Lester Smith Friday, 9 Iyyar Tammy Jampel for Amnon Abramov