EMOR by Dr. Mark Gersten

Emor is a Sedrah of opposites. It begins with a warning to the Cohanim about becoming   rendered impure from contamination from touching a dead body. It ends with a discussion of the joyous holidays. It begins with the laws if burial and death

But ends with the laws of the festive Holidays

Several commenter’s   point out an incredible message from these extremes. Sometimes things seem bleak represented by the cohanim’s relatives dying. but eventually they finishes on an upbeat note Succot, Passover , Shevuot representing  joy

One is prohibited from sinking to the depths of despondency and desperation and giving up on all hope. One must rise up and overcome evil tidings.True it is a part of life, but better days will come. As Eban Ezrah said “from what happens at the the beginnings of the day don’t mourn, Just as troubles rest they also get up and depart.

Serving HASHEM with joy is a great midah. It is said that all the curses in the book of Devarim came to the people not because they didn’t follow Hashem’s laws but because they did not follow them with joy and happiness when doing them.

The Rambam says that almost any trait has a purpose. For instance, even laziness is good when it comes to prevent one from sinning or jealousy is good when it stimulates someone to study Torah harder to become a Talmud Chachum. However, depression over what happened in the past which incapacitates someone from functioning has NO redeeming value. It is a sin to wallow in ones depression and not try to get up and fight it.

One must use faith in HASHEM to overcome sadness and depression. He must turn to HASHEM with every problem, frustration, anxiety, and pain. It says in Tihilim (Psalms) that HASHEM is the healer of the broken hearted. He binds up sorrows and counts the numbers of stars and appoints them names.

One can question what counting and naming the stars has to do with healing the brokenhearted. The answer is that often when people are depressed they see no possible way out. The statement about the stars assures us that HASHEM who made counts and names every star certainly will not overlook us in our time of need and certainly has the ability to ease our pains and comfort us.

Sponsorships: May 1, 2010

Kiddush and Bima Flowers are sponsored by the Aryeh Family in Honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Marc Aryeh.

Bima Flowers in the Beit Midrash are sponsored by the Friends of Dr. Raymond Sandler in recognition of his receiving the Attending Physician of the Year Award at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Suedah Shlishit Is sponsored anonymously, to express gratitude for besorot tovot.

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Sunday Breakfast is sponsored by Ellen & Andrew Allen in memory of the twenty fifth yahrzeit of her father Sheldon Schaffer.

Within Our Family: May 1, 2010

Mazal Tov to Susan & Leo Mindick on the birth of their grandson, born to their children Jessica & Remy Wagman.

Mazal Tov to Nathaniel Aryeh and Annette Feit on the Bar Mitzvah of their son Marc and also to Grandmother Mahin Aryeh.

Mazal Tov to Raphael Marcus who has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in Terrorism, Security and Society at the University of London and to Gabriela Marcus who will be starring in the lead role in an Off-Broadway comedy, “Awakenings,” this summer.

Assistant Rabbi Evaluations

The email evaluation forms have been sent out to all of the members whose email addresses are on file with GNS. You can also fill out an online evaluation for each of the candidates by going to our home page www.gns.org. The deadline for all evaluations is TUESDAY, APRIL 27 AT 5 PM.

Shavout Cheescake Recipe

One of the easiest cheesecakes to make is also one of the tastiest. This is the recipe for a wonderful treat for Shavuot that your children can help you in preparing. All you need are some simple biscuit cookies, milk, cream cheese and instant vanilla pudding mix and you are ready to go.

• Line a baking pan with the biscuits tightly packed together. They are to be a bottom layer for your cheesecake.

  
  

• In a mixing bowl, add 24 oz. (or 1 1\2 lbs.) of cream cheese, one cup of milk, and one package of vanilla flavored instant pudding mix (uncooked). Mix all of these ingredients together.

  
  

• Spread the mixture onto the biscuits in the tray.

  
  

• Cover with another layer of biscuits.

  
  

• Refrigerate.

  
  

• Serve cold and wait for the compliments.

  
  

For a variety, try various flavors of instant pudding.

Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim 5770 Milk and Honey S. Rabinowitz, MD

B”H
We have a double parsha this week. Acharei contains two positive mitzvos and 26 prohibitions, including several prohibitions on incest. Kedoshim contains 13 positive commandments and 38 prohibitions, such as not making an idol and not stealing. Near the end, in chapter 20, the Torah sums up as follows (trans. after R. Chaim Miller):

23 You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they committed all these (sins), and I was disgusted with them. -

24 That is why I said to you: ‘You shall possess their land, and I will give it to you so that you can inherit it, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am G-d your G-d, Who has distinguished you from the nations.
Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin, the originator of the Daf Yomi program, asked a question that is especially relevant at this time of year, when we celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel. Considering all the remarkable features of the Land of Israel, why did HaShem describe the land by singling out milk and honey? His answer, found in Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky’s Vedibarta Bam, begins with the Code of Jewish Law, the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Dei’ah 79:2, which states that a substance derived from impurity/tumah is also impure/tamei. The Gemara Bechoros 6b tells us that an animal’s milk is derived from that animal’s blood, which is an impure substance and forbidden for consumption, and yet the milk of a kosher animal is deemed to be pure and permissible for consumption. If the honey mentioned in the verse is bee’s honey, then it too is a permitted food derived from an impure source, the bee (Rashi on Shemos 13:5 says it refers to honey from dates and figs and the milk is goat’s milk; see also Kesubos 111b).
Rabbi Shapiro concludes from this that Eretz Yisroel has been blessed with a unique quality: Any Jew who goes there, even one who sometimes lacks in purity, will find that the air of Eretz Yisroel will help to purify and awaken spirituality. Rabbi Pinchas of Korelitz adds that the numerical/gematriah value of the word dvash/honey, which is 306, equals the gematriah of the phrase “Av haRachamon (merciful Father).” The uniqueness of Eretz Yisroel is that it is blessed with His fatherly mercy. The Torah encapsulates this in Devarim 11:12:

A land which G-d, your G-d, cares about. The eyes of G-d Almighty are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
Shabbat shalom.

YIDDISH VORT : July 21, 2010

Members telling their stories at Dos Yiddish Vort on Wednesday, July 21, at 1.30 pm in the Chalfin Room. Do you have a story to tell? Call Roz Wagner 516 487-9795  All welcome!

Within Our Family: April 24

Mazal Tov to Dr. Raymond Sandler on receiving the Mt. Sinai Physician of the Year award

Sponsorships: April 24, 2010

Kiddush is sponsored by Great Neck Synagogue

The Sunday Breakfast is sponsored by Shirley and Aaron Eliach in memory of his mother Chana bat Harav Moshe Ben Zion.

Women’s Tefila

Women’s Tefila will be holding a mincha service featuring the  Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Sarraf taking place this Saturday  afternoon, at 6.30pm in the Beit Midrash. Kiddush is sponsored by Maryam & Mehrdad Sarraf in honor of their daughter, Hanna.

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