Parshat Vayetzei November 13, 2010 6 Kislev, 5771

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Parshat Vayetzei

TORAH It is one of the great visions of shacharit, the morning prayer, Isaac non-obligatory according to those
ARTSCROLL, 144 the Torah. Jacob, alone at night, minchah, the afternoon prayer, and who hold that our daily prayers
HERTZ, 122 fleeing from the wrath of Esau, Jacob arvit, the prayer of nighttimes. are based, not on the patriarchs
lies down to rest, and sees not a but on the sacrifices that were
HAFTORAH nightmare of fear but an This is a striking idea. Though each of offered in the Temple. There was
ARTSCROLL, 1139 epiphany: the weekday prayers is identical in a morning and afternoon offering
HERTZ, 118 wording, each bears the character of one but no evening sacrifice. The two
He came to a certain place of the patriarchs. Abraham represents views differ precisely on this, that
[vayifga bamakom] and morning. He is the initiator, the one who for those who trace prayer to
stopped for the night because introduced a new religious sacrifice, the evening prayer is
the sun had set. Taking one of consciousness to the world. With him a voluntary, whereas for those who
the stones there, he put it under day begins. Isaac represents afternoon. base it on the patriarchs, it is
his head and lay down to sleep. There is nothing new about Isaac – no obligatory.
He had a dream. He saw a major transition from darkness to light
Times or light to darkness. Many of the
ladder resting on the earth, with The second is that there is a law
Candle Lighting 4:22 pm its top reaching heaven. G-d’s incidents in Isaac’s life recapitulate that those on a journey (and for
angels were going up and down those of his father. Famine forces him, three days thereafter) are exempt
on it. There above it stood G-d . as it did Abraham, to go to the land of from prayer. In the days when
Friday Mincha 4:25 pm
.. the Philistines. He re-digs his father’s journeys were hazardous – when
Haskhama 8:00 am Jacob awoke from his sleep and wells. Isaac’s is the quiet heroism of travelers were in constant fear of
said, “G-d is truly in this place, continuity. He is a link in the chain of attack by raiders – it was
Youth 8:30 am but I did not know it.” He was the covenant. He joins one generation to impossible to concentrate. Prayer
afraid and said, “How awesome the next. He introduces nothing new requires concentration (kavanah).
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am is this place! This is none other into the life of faith, but his life has its Therefore Jacob was exempt
than the house of G-d; this is own nobility. Isaac is steadfastness, from prayer, and offered up his
Main Minyan 9:00 am loyalty, the determination to continue.
the gate of heaven.” (28:11-17) entreaty not as an obligation but
Intermediate 9:00 am Jacob represents night. He is the man of as a voluntary act – and so it
Minyan On the basis of this passage the fear and flight, the man who wrestles remained.
sages said that “Jacob instituted with G-d, with others and with himself.
Beit Midrash 9:15 am the evening prayer.” The Jacob is one who knows the darkness of The third is that there is a
inference is based on the word this world. tradition that, as Jacob was
Gemorah Shiur 3:30 pm vayifga which can mean not traveling, “the sun set suddenly”
only, “he came to, encountered, There is, however, a difficulty with the – not at its normal time. Jacob
Mincha 4:25 pm idea that Jacob introduced the evening
happened upon” but also “he had intended to say the afternoon
prayed, entreated, pleaded” as prayer. In a famous episode in the prayer, but found, to his surprise,
Shabbat Ends 5:28 pm
in Jeremiah 7: 16, “Neither lift Talmud, Rabbi Joshua takes the view that night had fallen. Arvit did
Sunday Nov. 14 7:30/8:30 am up cry nor prayer for them nor that, unlike shacharit or minchah, the not become an obligation, since
make intercession to Me [ve-al evening prayer is not obligatory Jacob had not meant to say an
Mon, Thursday 6:35/7:45 am tifga bi].” (though, as the commentators note, it evening prayer at all.
has become obligatory through the
Tues, Wed., Fri. 6:45/7:45 am The sages also understood the acceptance of generations of Jews). There is, however, a more
word bamakom, “the place” to Why, if it was instituted by Jacob, was profound explanation. A different
Late Maariv 8:15 pm mean “G-d” (the “place” of the it not held to carry the same obligation linguistic construction is used for
universe). re is also an as the prayers of Abraham and Isaac? each of the three occasions that
Mincha Sun./Fri. 4:20 pm implication Thus Jacob Tradition offers three answers. the sages saw as the basis of
Latest times for completed the cycle of daily prayer. Abraham “rose early in
prayers. Abraham instituted The first is that the view that arvit is the morning to the place where he
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei

November 13 9:09/9:59 am
Kiddush is Bima Flowers
November 20 9:14/10:02 am are sponsored Seudah Shlishit
sponsored by by is sponsored by
Next Shabbat the Family of Bonnie & Elliot Diamond Neveh Alumni
Vayishlach
Harold Hedaya z"l in memory of with thanks to
Candle lighting 4:16 pm on the occasion of Molly Diamond Shalm GNS
Mincha 4:20 pm
his first yahrzeit z"l
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Parshat Vayetzei 5771

had stood before G-d” (19:27). Isaac “went out to meditate [lasuach] in
the field towards evening” (24:63). Jacob “met, encountered, came
across” G-d [vayifga bamakom]. These are different kinds of religious
experience.

Abraham initiated the quest for G-d. He was a creative religious

personality – the father of all those who set out on a journey of the spirit
to an unknown destination, armed only with the trust that those who seek,
find. Abraham sought G-d before G-d sought him.

Isaac’s prayer is described as a sichah, literally, a conversation or

dialogue. There are two parties to a dialogue – one who speaks and one
who listens, and having listened, responds. Isaac represents the religious
experience as conversation between the word of G-d and the word of
mankind.

Jacob’s prayer is very different. He does not initiate it. His thoughts are SAVE THE DATE
elsewhere – on Esau from whom he is escaping, and on Laban to whom
he is traveling. Into this troubled mind comes a vision of G-d and the

GREAT NECK
angels and a stairway connecting earth and heaven. He has done nothing
to prepare for it. It is unexpected. Jacob literally “encounters” G-d as we

SYNAGOGUE
can sometimes encounter a familiar face among a crowd of strangers. This
is a meeting brought about by G-d, not man. That is why Jacob’s prayer
could not be made the basis of a regular obligation. None of us knows
when the presence of G-d will suddenly intrude into our lives.

There is an element of the religious life that is beyond conscious control. 59TH ANNUAL
It comes out of nowhere, when we are least expecting it. If Abraham
represents our journey towards G-d, and Isaac our dialogue with G-d, DINNER
Jacob signifies G-d’s encounter with us – unplanned, unscheduled,
unexpected; the vision, the voice, the call we can never know in advance
but which leaves us transformed. As for Jacob so for us, it feels as if we
are waking from a sleep and realizing as if for the first time that “G-d was GUESTS OF HONOR
in this place and I did not know it.” The place has not changed, but we
have. Such an experience can never be made the subject of an obligation.
It is not something we do. It is something that happens to us. Vayfiga
bamakom means that, thinking of other things, we find that we have
SHARON GOLDWYN
walked into the presence of G-d.
AND
Such experiences take place, literally or metaphorically, at night. They
happen when we are alone, afraid, vulnerable, close to despair. It is then
MICHAEL & MINDY
that, when we least expect it, we can find our lives flooded by the
radiance of the divine. Suddenly, with a certainty that is unmistakable, we
LEVENTHAL
know that we are not alone, that G-d is there and has been all along but
that we were too preoccupied by our own concerns to notice Him. That is
how Jacob found G-d – not by his own efforts, like Abraham; not through
continuous dialogue, like Isaac; but in the midst of fear and isolation.
BONEH HABAYIT AWARD
Jacob, in flight, trips and falls – and finds he has fallen into the waiting
arms of G-d. No one who has had this experience ever forgets it. “Now I
PHYLLIS WEINBERG
know that You were with me all the time but I was looking elsewhere.”
That was Jacob’s prayer. There are times when we speak and times when
we are spoken to. Prayer is not always predictable, a matter of fixed times
and daily obligation. It is also an openness, a vulnerability. G-d can take
SATURDAY EVENING,
us by surprise, waking us from our sleep, catching us as we fall. JANUARY 15TH, 2011
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi

Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi
Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus
Michael Bleicher, Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic Interns
Zeev Kron, Cantor
Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus
Mark Twersky, Executive Director
Joseph Hecht, President
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
 This year for Thanksgiving you can really give thanks Back by Popular Demand
and be giving! Buy a Thanksgiving Dinner for a The Sisterhood of Great Neck Synagogue
resident at Arrandale Senior Housing and make your par- is proud to present
ents proud of you. $18 can sponsor a dinner in honor of/in Shalom Bayit a lecture by
memory of your parents Rabbi Dale Polakoff
and Rabbi Ian Lichter
Name:_______________________________________ Wednesday, November 17th, 2010, 7:30 PM
Phone ______________________________________ Colbeh Restaurant, Great Neck
$80.00 per couple
Email:_______________________________________ For more information contact: Susan Sheena 516-353-6158 or
Meals purchased in memory/in honor of: susheena@aol.com or co-chair Ina Greszes (516) 482-3642 .
____________________________________________ Please call GNS 487-6100 for reservations.
Amount enclosed:______ This event is sponsored by David and Diane Rein
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ in memory of their beloved friend Judy Sokol z"l.
We are also looking for a limited number of volunteers RESERVATION FORM
(ALL AGES) to help serve the dinner, clean up, play music,
sing & talk to the residents I would like to volunteer on. Name______________________
Thursday, Nov. 25th, 11:30 -2 pm
Food Server:_______________ Address____________________
Other Talent:____________________
Volunteer Names & Kids’ Ages: Phone______________________
_________________________________
Email______________________
Co-Sponsored by: GNS Hunger Initiative, Sisterhood &
Women’s Tefila Check enclosed______________
For more info: call Nechama at 516-773-3572 or email
lisslev@verizon.net Amount____________________
Please return to: GNS, 26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck,
Neck, NY 11023

Carrots, Muffins with Cream Cheese, Frosting, Homemade Granola, Berry Parfait,
Chocolate Fruit Kabobs
The Great Neck Synagogue Youth Department Presents
Little Chef Cooking Classes
with Yael Bleicher
Who: 3-5 year old Boys & Girls
What: Hands-on cooking classes specially designed for little hands including learning how to cut, peel,
grate, measure and lots of other techniques!
When: Sunday Mornings at 10-11am
November 14, 21, 28 & December 12 (Note: NOT meeting December 5)
Where: The Lichter Home: 76 Berkshire Rd.
Cost: $75 per child for 4 sessions: Space is limited!
To reserve a spot, or for any questions,
please contact Yael at YaelBleicher@gmail.com

SAVE THE DATE

Shlock Rock is coming to Great Neck Synagogue
Thursday evening December 2, 2010
Stay tuned for more details.
Sponsorships for preferred and priority seating are available
Details to follow. For more information please see Rabbi Ian Lichter
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
YOUTH SHABBAT
Thanks to Youth Chairs, Bart Baum, Rabbi Jensen and
Yehudah Polakoff for organizing this past weeks highly
successful Youth Shabbat. The GNS Youth Department was
outstanding in all aspects of the davening, layning, sermons,
etc. Mazal Tov to all the parents who “kvelled” with pride
watching their children run the services.
THANKSGIVING DRIVE
GNS Sisterhood, Women’s Tefila and The Hunger Initiative
are once again sponsoring Thanksgiving at Arrandale Senior
Housing. To donate a meal in honor or in memory of loved
ones, please send your check for $18 to GNS. You can also
volunteer to serve meals, clean up or entertain that day.
Please call Nechama Liss-Levinson at 516-773-3572 or email
at lisslev@verizon.net.
HASKHAMA KIDDUSH
Is sponsored by Pnina & Jay Aronowitz in honor of the
engagement of their son Josh.
SISTERHOOD
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
The Sisterhood presents a Shalom Bayit lecture with Rabbi
Polakoff and Rabbi Lichter on Wednesday evening, November
17th at 8 pm. This event is sponsored by David and Diane
Rein in memory of their beloved and dear friend Judy Sokol
z”l. For more information, please contact Susan Sheena at
Susheena@aol.com or (516) 353 6158 or co-chair Ina
Greszes (516) 482-3642 . See page three.
COMBINED SISTERHOOD MEETING
Please join the Combined Sisterhood meeting on Monday
morning, December 13th at 10:00am at Temple Israel
(Blue Room) to start planning the Annual Combined Sister-
hood Event. We welcome your ideas and help!
WOMEN’S TEFILA
Women’s Tefila will meet this Shabbat afternoon at 4 pm for
Mincha in the Beit Midrash.
PARLOR MEETING
On Tuesday evening, November 16th, at 8pm, at the home of
Sarita & Ben Greszes at 65 Emerson Drive, there will be a
Fine Israeli Wine Tasting & hors D’oeuvres event on behalf of
One Israel Fund. The guest speaker will be Marc Prowisor,
director of security projects for One Israel Fund. Proceeds
raised from the evening will help purchase advanced
life-saving medical kits (ALS Kits) for the security and
medical personnel throughout Judea and Samaria. For more
information regarding the event on November 16th, contact
Scott Feltman at One Israel Fund. Please call 516.239.9202
or email info@oneisraelfund.org.
THE NSHA BOOK FAIR
It will take place at Cherry Lane on Nov. 21, from 11am-4pm.
CHEVRA KADISHA
During these difficult last few weeks our Chevra Kadisha has
been there for many families in their time of need and we
have a great deal to be proud of, but we cannot do it
alone. We are asking for just two hours of your time to serve
as a Shomer when the need arises. Please call or e-mail
Brenda Parver (516) 829 8079-bparver@gmail.com or
Rona Jutkowitz at (516) 504-1644 - rjut@aol.com and let
them know that you want to be part of this important
mitzvah.
Within Our Family
Mazal Tov to Pnina & Jay Aronowitz on the engagement of
their son Josh to Naomi Zwillenberg, of Philadelphia.
Mazal Tov also to grandfather Gil Aronowitz.
PAINTING EXHIBIT AT GN LIBRARY BY CHAVA SHALMON
Still Life and Landscape Oil Paintings on Canvas Exhibit
October 20-November 15th, 2010 at the Great Neck Library
(Main Branch), Lower Level.
SNOW BIRDS
Please notify the synagogue office BEFORE you leave Great
Neck so we can change our records and forward your mail.
NEW HS PROGRAM
High School Learning Program w/ Rabbi Lichter Tuesday nights
Chalfin Room: 8:00 – 9:00 pm.
Susan Mayer and her children, Jason, Stuart, Richard and
Deborah wish to express their thanks for all of the overwhelming
support they received from the many members and volunteers in
helping to search for her husband and their father Steven Mayer.
They also wish to thank Rabbi Polakoff, Rabbi Lichter, Cantor
Kron and the entire community, for the caring and support given
to them following the passing of Steven Mayer z”l.
HUNGER INITIATIVE . Regular Food drop off’s continue
Friday’s at 18 Birchwood Lane . Drop off hours are between 10
am and 1 pm. Kindly place your food in the cooler. Also soup
containers are available in the Shul office for those wishing to
make soup for the Hunger Initiative Friday delivery to 18 birch-
wood lane. For those wishing to provide food on Sundays call
Jackie Nissan 482-2697.
Saturday, 6 Kislev
Asher Davoudpour for Aharon Dovid Davoudpour
Elliot Diamond for Molly Diamond Shalm
Evelyn Henis for Albert Noah
Monday, 8 Kislev
Dr. David Goddard for Leila Goldberg
Nettie Halitzer for Bernard Cohen
Michael Hoenig for Dr.Edward Hoenig
Y Magda Yehaskel for Mendel Wohl
Tuesday, 9 Kislev
A Jerrald Weinstein for Lillian Greenberg
H Wednesday, 10 Kislev
Dr. Lloyd Bayme for Leif Bayme
R Pearl Ginsberg for Yetta Helfman
Ronald Silverman for Gail Silverman
Z Jack Wachstock for David Wachstock
E Thursday, 11 Kislev
Irving Forman for William Forman
I Trudy Jettelson for Sarah Levisch
T Gerald Nathel for Gertrude Deutscher
Judith Soleimani for Bela Hajdu
Joyce Swartz for Norma Gelfond
Friday, 12 Kislev
Madeline Belonsky for Dora Wine
Richard Lillien for Bette Lillien
Eliezer Noy for Mashala bat Soltana