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THIS WEEK IN TEMPLE
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
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Friday, January 15th ~ KABBALAT SHABBAT
9:30 AM YOFI SHABBAT CONNECTION for KIDS
with Cantor Paula Baruch ONLINE LINK
7:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service
with Rabbi Cohen & Cantor Baruch ONLINE LINK
Candle Blessing with Marie McKeary
Saturday, January 16th ~ SHABBAT Vaera
9:30 AM YOFI TOT SHABBAT Drop In for KIDS
with Morah Dora Ann Ellison ONLINE LINK
10:00 AM Shabbat Family Service
with Morah Dora Ann Ellison ONLINE LINK
10:30 AM Shabbat Morning Music & Meditation
with Cantor Baruch ONLINE LINK
11:00 AM Talking Torah
with Rabbi Cohen ONLINE LINK
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לֵ֣ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֞ה בַּבֹּ֗קֶר הִנֵּה֙ יֹצֵ֣א הַמַּ֔יְמָה וְנִצַּבְתָּ֥ לִקְרָאת֖וֹ עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְאֹ֑ר וְהַמַּטֶּ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְנָחָ֖שׁ תִּקַּ֥ח בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃
Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is coming out to the water, and station yourself before him at the edge of the Nile, taking with you the rod that turned into a snake.
-Exodus 7:15
There is a Midrash that tells about Pharaoh meeting Moses at the edge of the Nile River, before God turned the water to blood (Exodus Rabbah 9:8). Why would Pharaoh, King of Egypt, be at water’s edge at the crack of dawn? The Midrash explains that Pharaoh went early in the morning to meet his bodily needs, before other people awoke. He saw himself as a god, and he did not want people to see that he was merely human, with the same needs as every other human.
Pharaoh had a high opinion of himself. This caused him to become a proud, arrogant man, subjecting his people to plague after plague, refusing to let the Israelites go. Moses, on the other hand, was known for his humbleness. To be a good leader, it is essential that one develop a strong dose of humility.
As we struggle through a worsening pandemic, this past week we also witnessed a riotous mob attacking the US Capitol building, threatening senators and congresspeople and causing the death of several people including a policeman. Of course, the most shocking element of this tragedy is that the rioters were incited by the President of the United States, who could not accept the fact that he had lost the election. His own arrogance superseded the well-being of the nation he led.
In the Mishna it is taught, “It is not the place who honours the person, but the person who honours the place” (Taanit 21b). Human dignity does not come from holding an office. Rather, a person acting ethically brings dignity to that office. Those in positions of power, be they Pharaohs or Presidents, have even more responsibility to be careful of their words and actions. We must all learn the importance of humility. The greater the power, however, the greater the obligation.
L'Shalom,
Rabbi Jordan Cohen
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Winter 2021
Books of Wisdom: Ecclesiastes and Ben Sira
Mondays at 7:00 PM – Beginning January 18th on Zoom
Join with Rabbi Cohen for a study of biblical-era Wisdom Literature, a genre of Hebrew literature common during the Second Temple period. Wisdom Literature consists of proverbs and statements that offer insights into human nature and divinity. Two of the finest examples of Hebrew wisdom literature are Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and the Wisdom of Ben Sira, the first of which was included in the Hebrew Bible and the second of which was denied a place in the biblical canon. In this course we will explore some of the distinct teachings of each of these unique books and how they can speak to us today.
All texts will be available online. To register, click here.
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DON'T MISS OUR ZOOM SHPIEL THIS YEAR "PANDEMIC IN PERSIA!". WHAT A COINCIDENCE! WHICH MEGILLAH WILL YOU HEAR? PROTECT YOUR JEWISH SPIRIT WITH THIS IMPORTANT EVENT!
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In our Temple Family
- THANK YOU to Evgueni & Elena Ravkine for their participation in last week's Kabbalat Shabbat service
- THANK YOU to Rob Murdoch for technical assistance for our ZOOM online service.
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Suzanne Szereszewski, Penny Greenberg, Haim Goldstein, Shelley Doering, Vladimir Gutkin, Jack Shinehoft, Danna Horwood, Laura Wolfson
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YIZKOR 
יזכור
This week we are remembering:
Sheloshim
John Stein
Myra Simon
Anne Aronson
Sam Horwood
Jean Sandler
Yahrzeit
Abraham Polakoff, Bertha Peters, Bessie Aaron, Chris Campe, David Levy, David Mark, Deborah Rosenberg, Dora Kirshenfeld, Enid Alleyne, Frank Vos, Hugo Popper, Jerry Bromstein, Liebe Friedman, Lillian Bregman, Max Boles, Moe Robert Hannon, Mollie Eisenberg, Monia Zhvanetsky, Rachel Dolovich, Sarah Raels-Lesk, Stanley Weddum, Theodore Tick
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IMPORTANT UPDATE ON YAHRZEIT RECORDS
If you are a Temple Anshe Sholom Member, we invite you review and update your Yahrzeit records with us. We are undergoing an update of our database and need your input. SHULCLOUD is the program our office uses to keep track of your family's account and life-cycle events. PLEASE login to your account on ShulCloud and check the information there for accuracy. Our weekly reading of Yahrzeit names depends on this data. Contact Brenda McAlpine in our office for assistance. 905-528-0121 ext 22 OR bmcalpine@anshesholom.ca
READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT ON OUR WEBSITE |
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