Shabbat Vayeshev Nov 30-Dec 1, 2007 / Kislev 21, 5768
Chanukkah
Chanukkah Begins This Week Tuesday Evening, December 4th. Chag Urim Sameach!
KAY Chanukkah party - Save the date for our annual Chanukkah party at the Palacio Clubhouse on Sunday evening, December 9th, for the 6th night of Chanukkah. We will play music, eat latkes, dance and have lots of fun for the kids. Be sure to bring your own Menorah for the communal candle lighting.
Guys Night Out Dec 19
Save Thursday evening, December 19th, from 8:30-10:30pm for a fun night of food, drink, music and some Torah. Exact price and location tba
KAY's Torah Study Opportunities
Work Person's Shiur
Workperson's Class at Aubrey Meyerowitz's office will meet on Wednesday, Jan 9th, 1pm. Address: 9863 Pacific Heights Blvd 92121. This class meets once a month.
Advanced Talmud Class: Men and Women are invited to study high level Talmud. Please speak to Rav Menashe to inquire further.
KAY Chavurot: Join an informal, social Chavurah study group this year. Meet once a month for social Torah meetings about whatever area of Jewish life you are interested in. Please contact Rav Menashe.
Community events
JFS Embrace-a-Family for the Holidays
In our Embrace-a-Family Program, we match families in need with individuals, families, or groups in the community. We provide you with a description of your family, ages of children, and their holiday wish list. Embracers provide toys, clothes, staple food, and gift cards for the family, enabling them to have a more joyous holiday. To learn more about embracing a family contact Melinda Bell at (858) 637-3050 or by email melindab@jfssd.org.
Men's Event
Sign up for the Men's Event with KAY's Table. January 24th, 5:30 pm. This year's guest lecturer, Alan Dershowitz. http://sandiego.ujcfedweb.org/page.html?ArticleID=157988.
Limmud: Community Day of Learning
Hosted by the AJE. Sunday, January 27th, 7:30am-3:30pm at the LFJCC
2008 Options
Guest Speaker: Anita Diamant - February 5th, 10am-1pm. All women from the community are encouraged to attend this annual UJF fundraising event; for more info: contact jessicah@ujfsd.org
SD Jewish Film Festival
Hosted by the Center for Jewish Culture at the LFJCC. Begins February 7th thru February 17th. For more info, go to www.lfjcc.org/sdjff
AIPAC brunch fundraiser - Mar 30
Tickets $50 till December, thereafter $65. Please contact Daniella Lewis 858/603-7553.
Refuah Sheleima
Please contact Rav Menashe to let him know of any family or friends who are ill.
Member news
Happy birthday to Geoff Patz (Nov 30), Andrea Sher (Nov 30), Gabriella Shevel (Nov 30), Gary Aires (Dec 1), Joshua Lazarus (Dec 1) and Eli Morris (Dec 3)!
Wedding anniversaries - mazal tov to Gary & Daniella Lewis (Dec 1) and to Nev & Marlene Stanger (Dec 1)!
Kiddush
Kiddush this Shabbat is sponsored by Daniella and Gary Lewis in celebration on their anniversary - mazal tov!
Please contact Daniella Lewis at 858/603-7553 if you would like to sponsor kiddush on Shabbat morning.
Membership registration
Your support is vital! Please complete and send in your membership form as soon as possible. To discuss your monthly contribution in strict confidence, please contact Geoff Patz at 858/733-3777. All donations are tax deductible and should be made payable to Kehillat Ahavat Yisrael and mailed to 13030 Brixton Place, San Diego CA 92130-1325. Thank you for your support!
Shabbat services
Friday night services: 6.15 pm. Shabbat morning: 9.30 am. Children's service 10.30 am. Services are held every week in the Bet Midrash of the San Diego Jewish Academy's Carmel Valley campus. Please see our web site for more information and directions.
Shabbat times
- Fri Nov 30: Candle lighting 4.24 PM
- Sat Dec 1: Shabbat ends 5.24 PM
Thought for the week
Growing Upward
The fourth generation of the first Jewish family comes clearly into focus this Shabbat as we read Parshat Vayeishev. The major story line is one of conflict; namely, the rivalry between Joseph and his brothers. From the start of the portion, we see the brothers' dislike for Joseph because he is Jacob's favorite child. (Genesis 37:3-4)
The bad blood between Joseph and his brothers reaches boiling point when Joseph relates his dreams. The Torah describes Joseph's two dreams: the first is metaphoric with one stalk standing upright, while the other stalks bow; the second mixes metaphor and reality, with eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing to Joseph. For understandable reasons, both dreams intensify the brothers' jealously toward Joseph to the extreme. (ibid 6-9)
But there is third dream that the Torah does not expand on. If we examine the text closely, the verse preceding Joseph's first dream, of the bowing stalks, is oddly vague: "And Joseph dreamed a dream and told his brothers, and they had further hatred for him." (ibid 5) Since the next verse relates Joseph sharing the stalk dream, what is Joseph's dream in verse 5?
Sensitive to the textual vagueness, Chizkuni says in fact there was a third dream (more accurately, a first dream), but because Joseph's vision of that dream was never realized, the Torah did not expand. (see Chizkuni, v. 5)
We might suggest another response. Much of the story, in this and upcoming Torah readings, charts Joseph's development into ethical maturity, physical and spiritual survival and confident leadership. The unknown dream may be our first glimpse of Joseph's spiritual evolution. Before seeing clear visions, dreaming concrete dreams, and eventually interpreting other's dreams, Joseph must first undergo a process of creative, visionary freedom and exploration. Joseph's first dream, or dreams, could not be expressed or captured in words. Therefore, the Torah leaves them out.
This coming week we celebrate the holiday of Channukah. According to the Talmud, we follow Beit Hillel's practice of lighting the Channukah candles in ascending order, following the principle that we always try moving upward, rather than downward. (TB Shabbat, 21b) Joseph and Channukah teach us a similar message: meaningful living aspires to grow upward.
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach and Chag Urim Sameach,
Rav Menashe
Kehillat Ahavat Yisrael (Love of Israel - the nation and the land) is a warm, caring Orthodox community welcoming Jews of all backgrounds to personal exploration and growth within Judaism. Our name symbolizes our passionate love for both fellow Jews and the State of Israel. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who you think might be interested. Let us know at any time if you'd like to be removed from this email list.
Contact information:
Rabbi: Rav Menashe and Donna East 858/605-1111
Board:
- President: Michael Lurie 858/794-8278
- Marketing: Ian Aires 858/481-2706
- At large: Barbara Berkovich 858/353-1420
- Programs: Gary Lewis 858/538-2330
- Programs: Jeff Max 858/481-7627
- Finance: Selwyn Lurie 858/792-7942
- Ladies: Barbara Lurie 858/792-7942
- Membership: Geoff Patz 858/733-3777