Parshat Pekudei-Shekalim March 5, 2011 29 Adar 1, 5771

TORAH
ARTSCROLL, 530 Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Parshat Pekudei
HERTZ, 385
Finally the long narrative of the presence rests in the work of your something more? There is a hint
Maftir construction of the Tabernacle - hands." They responded: "May the here of a principle that has
Artscroll, 484 to which the Torah devotes more pleasantness of the Lord our G-d be immense implications for the
Hertz, 352 space than any other single upon us. Establish for us the work of entire structure of Judaism. We
subject - is at an end. The our hands, O establish the work of our can summarize it simply: It is not
HAFTORAH building, its frame, drapes and hands" (Psalm 90: 17). (Sifre to objects that are holy. It is human
ARTSCROLL, 1212 sacred furniture, were complete. Bamidbar, 143) action and intention in accordance
HERTZ, 992 Moses inspects the finished with the will of G-d that creates
project. We then read: The midrash is based on the following holiness.
Mevorchim Chodesh Adar II stream of thought. One, and only one,
Molad Friday March 5, The Israelites had done all the psalm is attributed to Moses: Psalm 90, Consider the following ruling of the
12:00:07 am work just as the Lord had which bears the superscription, "A sages (see Gittin 45b; Mishneh
Rosh Chodesh commanded Moses. Moses saw prayer of Moses, the man of G-d." It Torah, Yesodei ha-Torah 6: 8;
Sunday & Monday all the work, and behold - they ends with the verse cited above, "May Tefillin 1: 13): A Torah scroll, or
had done it just as the Lord had the pleasantness (noam) of the Lord tefillin, or a mezuzah, written by a
Times commanded. So Moses blessed our G-d be upon us". The reference in heretic, is to be burned. Normally,
them. (Ex. 39: 43) the verse to "the work of our hands" to destroy a document containing
Candle Lighting 5:32 pm must surely refer to the Tabernacle - G-d's name is absolutely
Like many other passages in the the only "work", in the sense of forbidden. However, in this case,
Friday Mincha 5:35 pm description of the making of the constructive achievement, the Israelites as Maimonides explains: "Since
Tabernacle, this echoes a line performed in Moses' day. Hence the the person who wrote it does not
Hashkama 8:00 am phrase "a prayer of Moses" must be believe in the sanctity of the name
from the creation narrative: "G-d
saw all that He had made, and understood as the prayer/blessing he of G-d, and therefore did not write
Youth 8:30 am pronounced on the completion of the it with the requisite intent but
behold - it was very good" (Gen.
1: 31 - the words in common are Tabernacle. merely as any other [secular] text,
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am the [document containing] G-d's
Vayar, "he saw", et kol, "all" and
ve-hineh, "and behold"). The question then arises as to the name is not sanctified [and may
Main Minyan 9:00 am meaning of the words "the be destroyed]. Indeed it is a
The literary parallels between the pleasantness of the Lord". Another mitzvah to burn it so as to leave
Beit Midrash 9:15 am Psalm (27: 4) uses an almost identical no record of heretics and their
Divine creation of the universe
and the Israelites' construction of phrase: "One thing I ask of the Lord, works."
Gemorah Shiur 4:25 pm only this do I seek: to live in the house
the Tabernacle are intentional
and consequential. The of the Lord all the days of my life, to Imagine two Torah scrolls, one
Mincha 5:25 pm
Tabernacle was a micro-cosmos, gaze on the pleasantness (noam) of the written with the requisite intention
a universe-in-miniature. In Lord and worship in His temple." This and sanctity, the other written by
Shabbat Ends 6:40 pm
creating the universe, G-d made suggests that both psalms are a an atheist. Physically, they may be
Sunday March 6 7:30/8:30 am a home for humanity. In building reference to the sanctuary (in the indistinguishable. One cannot
the sanctuary, humanity made a wilderness, the tabernacle; in a later imagine any scientific test that - by
Rosh Chodesh era, the temple), and that "the examining the scrolls themselves -
home for G-d. And just as, at the
Monday 6:30/7:45 am beginning of time, G-d had pleasantness of the Lord" is a poetic would establish which was holy
blessed creation, so Moses way of describing the cloud of glory that and which not. Yet one is to be
Rosh Chodesh
blessed those who had a share filled the Tabernacle ("Then the cloud held in the highest possible
Tues.Wed.Fri. 6:45/7:45 am in its human counterpart. covered the Tent of Meeting, and the sanctity, and the other to be
glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle", burned. Holiness is not a property
Thursday 6:35/7:45 am What, though, was the blessing Ex. 40: 34) - in other words, the Divine of objects. It is a property of
Moses gave? The Torah itself is presence. Thus when Moses said, "May human acts and intentions.
Late Maariv 8:15 pm silent on this point, but the sages the pleasantness of the Lord our G-d be
supplied the missing information. upon us", he meant: "May it be G-d's It is this idea that lies behind the
will that His presence rests in the work very precise formula we use when
Mincha Sun/Fri. 5:40pm
With what blessing did Moses of your hands." we recite a blessing over the
Latest times for bless them? He said to them: performance of a command:
"May it be G-d's will that His It is a beautiful idea. Is it, though, "Blessed are You . . . who has
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei
March 5 9:14/10:12 am Bima Flowers
in the Beit Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by
Kiddush Is
March 12 9:/08/10:07 am
Midrash Malka Gad in memory of
Sponsored her husband David Gad, z”l and her
are in honor of
Next Shabbat by mother Dina Hakimi, z”l.
Vayikra the Bat Mitzvah
Great Neck of and by Donna & Joseph Hecht in mem-
Candle lighting 5:39 pm Synagogue ory of her father David Gad, z”l.
Kira Heisler
Mincha 5:40 pm
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100
sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to . . ." It is
the commandments that make us holy: nothing else. When G-d said to the
Israelites, before the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, "You shall be to
Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19: 6), He meant that the
Israelites would become holy through their performance of the commands
he was about to reveal to them, not that there was anything intrinsically
holy about them, prior to and independent of the commands. As Issi ben
Judah said (Mekhilta, Massechta de-Kaspa, 20): "When G-d enjoins a new
mitzvah on Israel, He endows them with new holiness."
The great commentator and halakhist R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-
1926, often known by the name of one of his commentaries, Ohr
Sameakh) was tireless and forceful in stressing the point. Mount Sinai was
- as the site of the greatest ever revelation of G-d - momentarily the holiest
place on earth, yet as soon as the revelation was over, even animals were
permitted to graze on it (Meshekh Chokhmah to Ex. 19: 13). The first
tablets Moses brought down the mountain were supremely sacred. They
had been hewn and written by G-d himself. Yet Moses broke them to show
the Israelites that nothing is holy except in the context of fulfilling G-d's will
(Meshekh Chokhmah to Ex. 32: 19). We endow objects and places with
holiness, through our intentions, our words and our deeds. There is no
such thing as ontological holiness, intrinsic sanctity.
Returning to the sanctuary, the very idea that there can be a "house of
G-d" - that we can create, in finite space, a home for the Infinite - seems a
contradiction in terms. Indeed, Israel's wisest king, Solomon, and one of
the greatest of its prophets, Isaiah, said so explicitly. On dedicating the
Temple, Solomon said: "But will G-d really dwell on earth? The heavens,
even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I
have built." (I Kings 8: 27). Likewise Isaiah said, "This is what the Lord
says: Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the
house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be?
(Isaiah 66: 1).
The answer was given by G-d to Moses at the very outset, before the
construction of the Tabernacle was begun: "Let them make a sanctuary for
Me, and I will dwell in them" - not "in it" but "in them" -- not in the building
but its builders, not in wood and metal, bricks or stone, but in those who
build and those who worship. It is not objects, buildings, or places that are
holy-in-themselves. Only acts of heart and mind can endow them with
holiness.
That is the deep meaning of Moses' blessing to the Israelites: "May it be
G-d's will that His presence rests in the work of your hands." G-d does not
inhere in things - not in Mount Sinai, not in the tablets, not in the
Tabernacle. His presence (the word Shekhinah, Divine presence, comes
from the same root as Mishkan, sanctuary or tabernacle) lives in "the work
of our hands" - whatever we do in accordance with His will. There was
nothing grand about the tabernacle. It was small, fragile, portable. What
made it holy was one thing only, that the Israelites "had made it just as the
Lord had commanded". The simplest human act, if done for the sake of
G-d, has more sanctity than the holiest of holy objects. That, to me, is a
remarkable principle of faith.
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program
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
Shabbat Announcements Parshat Pekudei 5771
MEN’S CLUB GUEST SPEAKER MARCH 6, 2011
Seven months ago, an interviewer’s softball question to
Helen Thomas, the dean of the White House press corps,
“Any comments on Israel?” led to the explosive answer that
cost Thomas her job. Her proclamation for the Jews to
“get the hell out of Palestine… and go home to Poland and
Germany…” made news around the world. It also brought
notoriety to her interlocutor, David Nesenoff, and launched
him on an odyssey of speaking and writing about the
incident and present day anti-Semitism. It is a mission
Nesenoff expects to continue now that he has been
appointed publisher and editor of The Jewish Star by the
paper’s owners, Clifford and Stuart Richner.
Nesenoff’s famous interview was seen by millions of viewers
within 24 hours of its posting on the Internet last June. Since
then, he has written for The Washington Post and appeared
on Fox News, CBS News and CNN. Additionally, he has
produced a documentary film, lectured to numerous commu-
nities and lived in the Old City of Jerusalem for two months.
Nesenoff has been embraced by the Orthodox com unity for
exposing Thomas’ bias against the Jewish state.
Unfortunately, Nesenoff has received thousands of
anti-Semitic emails since the video was posted.
In August, Nesenoff was the Keynote Speaker at Yale
University’s inaugural symposium on global anti-Semitism.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center named Thomas’ comments
as the number one anti-Semitic slur of 2010.
Helen Thomas, who at the time offered regrets for her words
and quickly resigned from the Hearst Corporation, has since
made further objectionable remarks. Thomas told a recent
audience, “Those rich Zionists control Congress, the White
House, Wall Street and Hollywood.”
The Jewish Star has maintained award-winning journalism
standards including its coverage of sexual abuse inside the
Jewish community and its consistent sharp commentary on
local and national politics. The recent compelling and
controversial Agunah story, first broken by The Jewish Star,
was featured in The New York Times.
“I was attracted to the paper’s serious commitment,”
Nesenoff said. “And I have great respect for its history in
always capturing the relevant Jewish news. I would like to
contribute to that journalistic dedication as well as highlight
the strengths of our religious Torah communities.” He
added, “We will also be steadfast in revealing the truth about
those who seek to hurt our local neighborhoods, our people
and our homeland.”
The Jewish Star is a leading Orthodox weekly newspaper
reporting on Jewish concerns and Israeli issues. It is distrib-
uted in Nassau, Queens and Brooklyn. Founded in 2002, the
Jewish Star is owned by Richner Communications Inc., in
Garden City, NY.
 To attend this
Siyum please
contact
Gil Aronowitz,
Michael Hoenig
or call the shul
office and leave
your name.
If enough
people respond a
bus may be
provided.
Please answer
promptly.

Sally & Seymour Olshin Adult Education Program

AM HASEFER
The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership
by Yehuda Avner
This program will take place on Tuesday March 8,
at the home of Sarita & Ben Greszes.
Rabbi Dale Polakoff will lead the discussion of this book.

As Israeli history this mis-titled volume is pure gold. The subject is partly the premiers, that is, some early ones, but
the real focus here is on the author, Yehuda Avner. It’s a memoir, not about personal family experiences, but about
Israeli events in which he was a participant. Avner was not always at the top himself, but close enough to get a good
look. The book begins in 1947, when Avner entered Israel, still under the British Mandate, as a young settler, a British
citizen.
He covers Independence Day, the following year, with a charming story. A friend, wildly excited to hear that state-
hood has been declared, ran to tell him and others. But “What’s its name?” He hadn’t thought to ask. Probably Zion,
they guessed; no, Yehuda (Judea); or maybe Israel. Whatever, they drank to it.
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUNDAY BREAKFAST is sponsored by Cindy & Glenn Ludwig in
memory of her father, Alvin Gelber.
MENS’ CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS
Sun, March 6, 10:00am: The Mens’ Club is thrilled to have a talk by
Rabbi DAVID NESENOFF, the reporter who interviewed
Helen Thomas at the White House when she said “the Jews must get
out of Palestine and go back home to Poland and Germany”. He is a
highly respected, entertaining and in-demand speaker. We thank the
following sponsors of this event: Frank Bachrach, Morris & Cindy
Hodkin, Michael Hoenig, Hillel Milun, Milton Mitzner, Michael & Tricia
Moslin and Alan Steinberg.
Sun, March 27, 9:30 am: The Annual Three Rabbi Dialogue being
held this year at Temple Beth El.
Thur, April 7, 8:00pm: Do you or your parents live part-time or full-
time in Florida? Come and learn about Senior Solutions—a private
care management service company, who deal with the geriatric
population in Florida, overseeing their care, and who understand their
culture, mentality and needs.
Sun, June 6: The semi-annual Blood Drive.
Mon & Tues, June 28 & 29: The Annual Defensive Driving Course.
WOMEN’S TEFILA
This Shabbat afternoon the Women’s Tefilah group will meet for
Mincha, where they will celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Kira Heisler,
daughter of Michelle & Ethan Heisler and granddaughter of
Gitty & Gilbert Louzoun. Kiddush will be sponsored by the
Heisler family in honor of Kira’s Bat Mitzvah.
DEAR MEMBERS,
At a recent Board Meeting I announced the forming of a Strategic
Planning Committee. Under the chairmanship of Dr. Hal Chadow this
committee will begin the process of developing a strategic plan for
Great Neck Synagogue which will not only tell us where we currently
stand, but will help us plot a course for the future.
We are a large shul with many members and a diversity of views and
opinions. In order to facilitate the work of the committee we have
established an email address for your thoughts, concerns, questions
and recommendations. The committee can be reached at
strategic@gns.org. We have accomplished many wonderful things
but there is still much more to be done. I look forward to your
participation in this important project.
Sincerely,
Joseph Hecht President
SISTERHOOD MEETING Please join us on Wednesday evening,
March 2nd at 8:00pm in the Braun Youth Center for a Sisterhood
meeting to discuss and plan upcoming events. Kindly let us know
some chesed related activities that you would like to help organize for
Sisterhood to benefit our community. Looking forward to seeing you
SISTERHOOD ROSH CHODESH ADAR II EVENT WITH
REBBETZIN KATIE LICHTER Please join us on Wed. evening,
March 9th, to bake hamantaschen together at 8:00pm in the Braun
Youth Center. Please submit your favorite hamantaschen recipe to
Rebbetzin Katie Lichter at katielichter@gmail.com. We are
looking forward to a fun evening! Thank you very much to Cindy
Hodkin for organizing this event.
SISTERHOOD AND GNS TALMUD TORAH – MISHLOACH MANOT
CHESED PROJECT The Sisterhood is excited to be joining the GNS
Talmud Torah students who will be baking hamantaschen and making
mishloach manot packages that the students will deliver on Purim to
the residents who live at the Arrandale Senior Citizen Home in Great
Neck. Thank you very much to Judy Lillien for this great idea!
SISTERHOOD PRE-PESACH BOUTIQUE AND BUY-BYE BLING
GOLD SALE Please join us on Wednesday, March 30th at Great Neck
Synagogue to shop at our Pre-Pesach boutique. Details to follow.
Thank you to Lisa Kagan for organizing this event for us. Also, on that
same day, there will be an opportunity for you to come to Great Neck
Synagogue to receive cash on the spot for your valuable gold and
silver items. (Gold Sale hours are 10:30am – 3:00pm and 5:00pm –
9:00pm). Highest prices paid! The Sisterhood will receive a percentage
of all sales. Use your cash at the boutique! Thank you to Lisa Kagan
and Susan Sheena for co-chairing this event.
Within Our Family
Mazal Tov to Michelle & Ethan Heisler on the Bat Mitzvah of their
daughter Kira. Mazal Tov also to grandparents Gitty & Gilbert
Louzoun.
Mazal Tov to Judy & Richard Lillien on the engagement of their son
Andrew to Rebecca Levitan daughter of Greg & Rachel Levitan of
Baltimore , MD.
Mazel Tov to Sam Levitt on the birth of a granddaughter born to his
children David and Blima Levitt
MARATHONS FOR CHARITY
Arnie and Viviane Breitbart will be running in Jerusalem on March 25,
where Arnie will be running the Jerusalem Marathon and Viviane will be
running the 10K. They are running to support Shalva, a wonderful organi-
zation providing services for physically and mentally challenged children in
Israel. Contributions can be made out to American Friends of Shalva and
mailed to Arnie Breitbart, 10 Imperial Court, Great Neck, NY 11023. On
March 20, 2011, Tami Kramer will be running in the NYC Half-Marathon
as part of Team Sharsheret, a national non-for-profit organization sup-
porting Jewish women and their families facing breast and ovarian
cancer. To sponsor please visit her profile page at
https://www.sharsheret.org/halfmar2011-tamisecunda.php.
PESACH SCOPE DEADLINE The deadline for the Pesach edition of Scope
magazine is Monday, March 7th. Please submit all articles, photos, spon-
sorships and advertisements by that date to Diane Rein at
drein@verizon.net Thank you very much!
RABBI REISMAN The Rabbi Reisman simulcast takes place Saturday
evenings in the Weinstein Torah & Tech. Center. The time for March is
8:30 pm.
SIYUM WITH RABBI REISMAN
A Siyum Sefer Yirmiyahu and Melave Malka will take place in Brooklyn on
Sat. night, Mar. 12, at 8:30 pm. For tickets and transportation information
please see Gil Aronowitz or Michael Hoenig.
TORAH CONFERENCING NETWORK RABBI REISMAN- 830pm NEXT
MOTZEI SHABBAT
MARCH 2, 8:30 pm in CHALFIN ROOM
In Commemoration of the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Movsas z”l, topics
from his book Sefer Beis Dovid will be discussed by Rabbi Dale Polakoff,
Rabbi Dovid Rhodes and Rabbi David Movsas. All are welcome.
AM HASEFER On Tuesday, March 8th, Am Hasefer presents the book:
“The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership
by Yehuda Avner.” Rabbi Dale Polakoff will lead the discussion of this
book, 7:45 pm at the home of Sarita & Ben Greszes. The book is
available on Amazon.com.
FYI Michelle Miller, daughter of Elaine & Albert Miller authored an exciting
new play “ Mother of G-d”, written by a Jewish mother about the ultimate
Jewish mother. Tickets are available at Theatremania.com or
866 811-4111 at the Richmond Sheppard Theatre March 12-26.
Saturday, 29 Adar 1
Nadine Eckstein for Lila Gittleman
Y Frederick Shaw for Selma Shaw
A Monday, 1 Adar 2
Joyce Dacher for Marvin Wolfman
H Irving Forman for Frances Deresh
R Wednesday, 3 Adar 2
Z Milton Mitzner for Pearl Ducker
Thursday, 4 Adar 2
E Steven Berkowitz for Jack Berkowitz
I Lev Dynkin for Shoshana Mindel Lider
T Friday, 5 Adar 2
Brenda Parver for Ida Altman
Shellie Zuckerman for Aaron Feinerman