Pesach

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TORAH 1st day 354, 2nd day 690 MAFTIR 1st day 892, 2nd day 892
1st day 1221, 2nd day 1222

April 7, 2012 15 Nissan, 5772

Rabbi Frand on Pesach

Rabbi Frand on Pesach in Jerusalem, why are we not told exactly how to take Next Year In Jerusalem - corrective action to make that If: The Symbolism of the happen? We should be "Two Dippings" explicitly taught to remedy our behavior of Gratuitous Hatred. Every Passover Seder begins with a plea: "This The Ben Ish Chai states that year we are here; next there is such a notion in the year (may we be) in the Hagaddah. He says that this is Land of Israel. This year alluded to by the question we are slaves; next year "Why is it that on all other (may we be) free!" Every nights we do not even dip Seder that we have ever once, and on this night we dip experienced is just a twice?" shadow of the ideal Pesach Seder. A proper The Ben Ish Chai suggests that Pesach Seder should the first dipping on the night of include the Paschal and the Seder (into the salt water) Festival offerings. But reminds us of the first place "this year" it is not that that "dipping" is mentioned in way. Jewish History: "And they dipped (Yoseph's) coat into The truth of the matter blood" [Bereshis 37:31]. This is that the Pesach Seder is the prototype of the sin of also ends with this same Gratuitous Hatred, which has theme. "Next year in plagued us throughout the Jerusalem." The reason generations. why our Pesach Seder will not include a Paschal The second dipping at the offering this year is Seder (into the Charoses) because the Bais corresponds to a second HaMikdash [Temple] was dipping that we find mentioned destroyed. Our Sages in the Chumash: "And you teach us that the Second shall take the bundle of hyssop Temple was destroyed and dip it into the because of 'Gratuitous blood" [Shmos 12:22]. This Hatred' (Sinas Chinam). pasuk [verse] refers to the We are taught that the dipping into the blood of the Bais HaMikdash will not Paschal offering. That dipping be rebuilt until we was the first step of painting somehow correct the the door posts and lintels of defect of Sinas Chinam their homes with the sign of and divisiveness. blood -- in order to save them from the Plague of the First If that is the case, why Born on the night of their are we not prompted deliverance from Egypt. somewhere during the Pesach Seder to address It is no coincidence, says the this sin of Sinas Chinam? Ben Ish Chai, that the Torah If the Seder in fact uses the language of Agudah includes the request that [bundle (of hyssop)] regarding next year we should be the second dipping. The word in the Land of Israel and Agudah comes from the root word Igud, which means unity. Thus, the dipping of unity, which took place at the end of the Jewish Nation's stay in Egypt, was a remedy for the dipping of Gratuitous Hatred, which had triggered their descent into Egypt. This concept symbolizes that we too will emerge from our current exile -which was also triggered by Gratuitous Hatred -- with unity and harmony amongst ourselves. Rav Elchanan Wasserman expressed amazement that of all the slanders that the anti-Semites have used against the Jews over the centuries, one of the most recurrent lies has been the 'Blood Libel'. This is a claim that is not only patently false, but that makes absolutely no sense as well. The last thing a Jew would ever eat is blood. The Torah has numerous prohibitions distancing a Jew from blood or anything that is mixed with blood. How could it be that we have always been accused of this specific charge? Rav Elchanan Wasserman suggests that this is a Divine punishment that corresponds to the sin of "they dipped (Yoseph's) coat into blood". When the brothers dipped Yoseph's coat into blood, that did something to the system of Heavenly Justice which caused Jews in future generations to be susceptible to the slanderous libel that we

HAFTORAH

HERTZ
TORAH 1st day 253, 2nd day 518 MAFTIR 1st day 695, 2nd day 695 HAFTORAH
1st day 1009, 2nd day 1012

Times

Siyum Bechorim Candle Lighting Mincha

6:30/7:45 am 7:07 pm 7:10 pm

See page 2 for Pesach schedule Mon. throughThurs. 6:30/7:45 am Mincha Thursday 4/12 Candle Lighting Mincha Friday 4/13 Hashkama Main Shul Beit Midrash Mincha Friday Night 4/13 Candle Lighting 8:00 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 7:15 pm 7:14 pm 7:13 pm 7:15 pm 7:15 pm

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100

Shaabbat Announcements Pesach 5772

bake our Matzahs with the blood of Gentile children. Unfortunately, Pesach has many reminders of Gratuitous Hatred. Rav Mattisyahu Solomon points out the irony that the Blood Libel always emerged before Pesach. (The libel claimed that the Matzahs were baked with blood; the 4 cups of wine actually contained blood, etc.) Why specifically Pesach? Why did they not say that we dip our Lulavim (palm branches, used on Sukkos) in blood? The answer is because Pesach is the Festival of Redemption. It is the holiday of "In Nissan they were redeemed and in Nissan they are destined to be redeemed" [Rosh Hashanna 11a]. As long as we have not rectified the original sin that led to the slavery -- Yosef's brothers Gratuitous Hatred, which caused them to dip his coat in blood, the blood libel rears its ugly head around the time of Pesach. In fact, the first night of Pesach always falls on the same day of the week as the night of the following Tisha B'Av. The Ramo"h in Shulchan Aruch traces the custom of dipping an egg in salt water on the night of the Seder to this phenomenon of the calendar. We dip an egg -- which is sign of mourning -- at the Seder to commemorate Tisha B'Av and the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. Why is this theme linked to Pesach? The answer is that if 5 months from now we will commemorate another Tisha B'Av, it is because we did not properly learn the lesson of Pesach. We forget the lesson of the "two dippings". We can only remedy the sin of Gratuitous Hatred, symbolized by the dipping in salt water, through the unity symbolized by the bundle of hyssop. There are many reminders of the connection between Destruction and Redemption. The way that we can emerge from the Destruction that we are experiencing, and merit the Redemption that we so desperately need, is by once and for all remedying "dipping (Yoseph's coat) into blood" by creating its antidote of "dipping with the bundle of hyssop through one common bundle of unity."

SHABBAT AND PASSOVER SCHEDULE 5772-2012 THURSDAY, APRIL 5th

Bedikat Chometz this evening

EREV PESACH Friday, April 6th

Shacharit with Siyum for first born Chometz may not be eaten after: Magen Avraham Vilna Gaon Chometz must be destroyed by: Magen Avraham Vilna Gaon Candle Lighting Mincha 6:30 am

10:20 am 10:48 am 11:38 am 11:52 am 7:07 pm 7:10 pm

PESACH 1 Friday night, April 6th

Kiddush after (first Seder) 8:06 pm 8:00 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Shabbat, April 7th

Hashkama Main Shul Beit Midrash Shiur Mincha, followed by seudah shlishit

PESACH ll Saturday night, April 7th

Maariv Candle lighting after Preparations for the second Seder Should not begin before 8:09 pm
Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program

8:00 pm 8:09 pm

Sunday, April 8th

Hashkama Main Shul Beit Midrash Mincha Yom Tov ends after 8:00 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 7:15 pm 8:17 pm

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic Intern Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Joseph Hecht, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

BURN BABY BURN

Due to liability concerns and on the advice of the Fire Department, we will no longer be hosting a communal chometz burning on erev Pesach. The safest way to burn your chometz is by using your barbeque grill. There will also be no garbage disposal at the synagogue that morning and all members are encouraged to dispose of their garbage in the normal way and place the garbage cans by the street before Pesach begins, disclaiming any ownership of that garbage. The parking lot will be closed following services on erev Pesach morning.

SHABBATDINNERSPEAKERSSERIES Eachmonth,weproudlypresentaleadingJewishthinkerorinstitutionalleaderwhowillinspireandeducateus overthecourseofShabbat. JoinusforamemorableShabbatdinner,asweenjoygoodfood, thecompanyoffriends,andapowerfulandrelevantmessage.

Friday, April 27

Dr. Deborah Lipstadt

DorotProfessorofModernJewishandHolocaustStudies,EmoryUniversity
DeborahE.LipstadtistheDorotProfessorofModernJewishHistoryandHolocaustStudiesattheTamInstituteforJewishStudiesandthe DepartmentofReligionatEmoryUniversityinAtlanta,Georgia.AtEmoryshecreatedtheInstituteforJewishStudiesandwasitsfirstdirector from19982008.ShedirectsthewebsiteknownasHDOT[HolocaustDenialonTrial/www.hdot.org]whichcontainsanswerstofrequentclaims madebyHolocaustdeniers.LipstadtwasanhistoricalconsultanttotheUnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum,andhelpeddesignthe sectionoftheMuseumdedicatedtotheAmericanResponsetotheHolocaust.ShewasappointedbyPresidentClintontotheUnitedStates HolocaustMemorialCouncilonwhichsheservedtwoterms.From1996through1999sheservedasamemberoftheUnitedStatesState DepartmentAdvisoryCommitteeonReligiousFreedomAbroad.Inthiscapacityshe,togetherwithasmallgroupofleadersandscholars, advisedSecretaryofStateMadelineAlbrightonmattersofreligiouspersecutionabroad.In2005shewasaskedbyPresidentGeorgeW.Bush tobepartofasmalldelegationwhichrepresentedtheWhiteHouseatthe60thanniversarycommemorationoftheliberationofAuschwitz. Ahighlyacclaimedauthor,LipstadtreceivedherB.A.fromCityCollegeofNewYorkandherM.A.andPh.D.fromBrandeisUniversity.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
SIYUM BECHORIM The Siyum taking place Friday morning at 6:30 and 7:45 am is sponsored by Margery & Barry Libin in memory of his father Joseph Libin, zl. GNS NOMINATING COMMITTEE The nominating committee for Great Neck Synagogue approved at the March 15th Board meeting is as follows: Chair: Michael Leventhal Members:Marcy Aharon, Jeff Benjamin, Emma Baum, Zachary Mittleman, Ellen Modlin and Glenn Zuckerman. Please feel free to speak to any and all of these members to express your opinion on nominations. SISTERHOOD SCHLISSEL CHALLAH BAKING Sisterhood presents a hands-on challah baking demonstration given by Sharona Abraham to learn the significance of the Schlissel Challah - an opportunity that comes just once a year! Join us on Tuesday, April 17th at 8:00pm in the Braun Youth Center. Class is limited to 36 women and costs $18. To make a reservation, please contact Farla Frumkin at mailto: farlafrumkin@gmail.com or 829-7938. Everyone goes home with a schlissel challah - please remember to bring a spare house key. Two batches available for sponsorship at $72 each. Sponsors choose name and perform bracha for hafrashat challah. CHOMETZ CHESED COLLECTION 2012 Dont throw out your Chometz. Please donate your Chometz now. Please drop off your Chometz in the box in the garage at Rabbi/Rebbetzin Lichters home at 76 Bershire Road. Their garage is located on Margo Street. You can drop off everydayall day in their garage through April 4th. Thank you for your help. SISTERHOOD PASSOVER WINE SALE Sisterhood is offering Passover wine through Lakeville Wine & Spirits which is the largest Shomer Shabbos liquor store on Long Island Conveniently located on the corner of Lakeville Road and Union Turnpike, in the Lakeville Shopping Center. The store has hundreds of kosher wines in stock and specializes in wines from Israel. All orders will be delivered and can be faxed to 516.352.1103 or emailed to info@kosherwineco.com. Please mention Sisterhood of GNS. Danue Passionfruit and Pomegranate wines are also available. GNS MENS CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS Wed & Thur., June 6 & 7, 7.00 pm: The annual Defensive Driving Course will be held at GNS. Participate to reduce any points on your license and save on auto insurance. Sun June 10, 8.00 am to 1.00 pm: Our semi-annual Blood Drive. Donating blood is a mitzvah which helps save lives. Sun July 1, 9.00 am: We are going Fishing again. The whole family can join in this enjoyable morning at sea. PESACH PASS IT FORWARD This year, for the first time ever, the Hunger Initiative's Pass it Forward Program is doing a Pesach initiative. They are providing complete Seder meals and other Passover essentials for 50 needy families. They urgently need drivers to help on Wednesday, April 4th. The deliveries will be from Mazurs commencing at 4:00p.m., but there are delivery slots for later if needed. Men, high school and college students are urged to help out. Please contact Cindy Hodkin at koshercookinggn@gmail.com or call at 482-7771. Please help in this worthwhile endeavor. AFMDA PARLOR MEETING Please hold Wednesday, May 2nd for a dessert reception commemorating the second Yahrzeit of our beloved Dr. Lewis Gordonson, ZL at the home of Mrs. Rita Gordonson. Special briefing by Ori Shacham, Deputy Director, Magen David Adom, Israels sole Knesset-mandated medical response service. JEWISH FILM SERIES In cooperation with GN Arts Center Monday, April 16, 7:30pm Clearview Squire Theater, 115 Middle Neck Rd. Noted filmmaker Joan Mickling Silver will present and discuss her classic film Hester St., which pioneered a wave of films about the American Jewish experience, and screen selections from her latest film, currently in progress. For reservations and more info, call GN Arts Center: 516.829.2570 or online www.greatneckarts.org

Within Our Family

Mazal Tov to Oliver Rein, 5th grade student at Ramaz Middle School, for winning first place in the New York Society Library Contest for his prose entry titled, "The Dream Catcher." Mazal Tov to his parents David and Diane Rein and siblings Alexander and Sophia. SENIOR KOLLEL The Tuesday, April 3 Shiur is co-sponsored by Paul Brody in memory of his father Zvi Elimelech ben Yosef (Harvey Brody) and by Steven Zuckerman in memory of his mother Evelyn Zuckerman. GNS APRIL CHESED Thanks to the generosity of our community ( with much help from the students & faculty at Central) we donated over 300 lb of matzo plus boxes of food items and Tzedaka to TOMCHEI SHABBOS. Special Thanks to the Lunzer Family for chairing the Passover Food Collection! WINE CLUB BlueWhiteWines.com is a wine club and a selected retail inventory site specializing in Israeli Kosher wines. The site was created out of a passion to Israel and love of wine. Free shipping for any orders over 4 bottles. 10% of your order will be donated to the Sisterhood of Great Neck Synagogue. LOST 1)A Mens Columbia Vertex jacket was mistakenly given to the wrong person on Shabbat in the coatroom. If you own a jacket of this type please check it and call the office. We have the other jacket in the office. 2)An IPOD TOUCH was lost in the coatroom. If found please bring to the shul office LUNCH AND LEARN Lunch and Learn given by Dr. Laura Danoff on the occasion of the yahrzeit of her father, Dr. Ernest Herman z.l. on April 18th, 12:00 SHARP 4 Vista Drive in Great Neck Estates - "How the Parsha of the Week Affects Your Everyday Life" will be the learning topic. Rsvp to openwyd613@aol.com. This is a women only event.

The Dweck, Katz & Braunstein Families would like to extend their appreciation to the community for their thoughtfulness and kindness during the loss of their father, Ben Dweck, zl.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 15 Nissan Mark Gold for Regina Gold Leonard Kahn for Rachel Kahn Mina Kotler for Pearl Rodzynek Sunday, 16 Nissan Marc Gottlieb for Sarah Schwartzman Monday, 17 Nissan Paul Brody for Minnie Brody Judith Traub for Usher Hechtkopf Tuesday, 18 Nissan Marvin Greenwald for Matilda Greenwald Jeff Pulver for Howard Pulver Meyer Singer for Isidore Singer Wednesday, 19 Nissan Paul Brody for Marion Brown Sigalit Katz for Eliyahu Cziesler Hindi Lunzer for Isidore Mermelstein David Sedgh for Ghodrat Yazhghal Thursday, 20 Nissan Mitchell Benerofe for Shirley Benerofe Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for Binaho ben Yehuda Gabbaizadeh Friday, 21 Nissan Mel Fox for Celia Fox Blumenfeld Erik Herz for Laura Yellin Hadassah Wachstock for Abraham Kessler