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Happy Chanukah!
I love this time of year, and I suspect that you do as well. There’s a powerful lesson I like to take from the Chanukah candles. On the first night we light one flame, and that is enough. The next day, we light two. By the time the third night rolls around, no less than three flames are needed. And by the time we’ll get to night number 8, we will need 8 lights. When it comes to bringing light and goodness to the world, what was okay for yesterday is not enough for today. Every day, we must climb higher and higher. Here is a Chanukah exercise: Think about your life and the mitzvahs you do already. Think of what you can add to that mix. Now implement it. Repeat daily for best results. |
| Volume 17 Number 12, 29th of Kislev 5776, December 11 '15 | |
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Chabad Weekly Update - SPECIAL EDITION
Minyan Needed Monday Morning – Please Commit This coming Monday there is a Yarzeit so we need to make sure there is a Minyan at 8am. Several of our regulars are not available so it will be a special challenge to make sure we can do this Mitzvah. If you are able to help make this great Mitzvah happen please respond to this message right away. G-d bless! Kiddush this Shabbos This week’s Kiddush is being sponsored by Elias and Rachel Perez in memory of Saada bat Shimon Perez’ (Elias’ mother) Yarzeit! Everyone is invited to join us for this beautiful weekly gathering! Kiddush Sponsors Needed If you have not sponsored a Kiddush for a while and/or if you have a birthday, anniversary, or perhaps a Yarzeit you wish to mark, please respond to this message. Kiddush sponsorship begins at $180. Dedication Dinner THIS Sunday The long-awaited Dedication Dinner Gala of our new building is THIS weekend! On Sunday, December 13th, which is the last light of Chanukah, from 4:30pm until 9pm we will have a wonderful celebration including Menorah Lighting, dedication of our new donor’s wall, live music, a sumptuous prime rib dinner, silent auction, live auction, raffle prizes, and much more. Thanks to the generosity and hard work of many in our community we have some valuable prizes including fine jewelry, art, vacation packages, sports memorabilia, and the newest electronics. We are full with just a couple of seats open! Proceeds will be going to help us finish Phase I of our building, which includes hard-scaping, landscaping, and a couple of other minor projects. Please respond to this message if you would like to come, or you can register online by logging onto the shul’s website; www.ChabadatLaCosta.com/gala. The cost to attend is $180 per person. Thank you for your support and participation! A Thought from the Rabbi As most people know each night of Chanukah we add a light so that on the first night we lit one, the second two, etc. What many people don’t know is that there is a debate amongst two great Talmudic Rabbis, Hillel and Shammai, regarding this special Mitzvah. It is Hillel whose opinion we follow. Shammai’s opinion is that the first night we light eight, the second night seven, etc. He holds that each night we reduce the amount of lights that we kindle. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (of sainted memory) explains the different reasoning of Hillel and Shammai. The Rebbe explained that if we analyze the position of Hillel he was the more lenient of the two Talmudic greats whereas Shammai was more stringent. Why was Hillel more lenient and why Shammai was more stringent? The answer offered is because Hillel would respond to people on the level they occupied while Shammai would respond based upon the person’s potential. Hillel was primarily motivated by the attribute of Chesed – lovingkindness – and Shamma was primarily motivated by the attribute of Gevurah – justice and strength. Interestingly, during these times – a time of exile and difficulty – we generally follow the opinion of Hillel, however, when the Messianic Era (finally) arrives we will follow the opinion of Shammai. With this in mind we can now better appreciate the difference in opinions regarding the order of lighting the Chanukah Menorah. Being that Hillel emphasizes the level where we currently find ourselves he states that we should light the number of candles corresponding to the day of Chanukah. Today, for instance, we are celebrating the fifth day of Chanukah so last night we lit five candles because that’s where we are currently holding. Shammai, on the other hand, is always looking at one’s potential, and since by the fifth night of Chanukah there is less potential Chanukah light to be emitted we light fewer candles. It behooves us to examine and learn from both positions, particularly when dealing with other people. While we should certainly embrace the approach of Hillel and lovingly accept people where they are currently standing we should also incorporate the style of Shammai and look and speak to our friend’s potential, which will help us encourage growth. Happy Chanukah and may we grow from strength to strength! A Heart-Felt Request Dear Friends, As we approach the end of the year it is time to take stock. Just as we are meant to examine ourselves on the Jewish New Year, particularly regarding our spiritual situation, so too we should use the end of the secular year to examine our material situation. Thank G-d, we live in a place and time of unprecedented wealth and plenty. In all of human history there has never been a time of such riches finding their way into the hands of so many. Yet unfortunately, many do not feel rich. Somehow many people choose to focus on that which they do not have instead of that which they do have. For instance, I would wager ‘dimes to doughnuts’ that nobody reading this article is worried about where his next meal is coming from or if he will have a roof over his head next week. These are precisely the types of worries that all previous generations had. Every one of us should feel rich! While it may be true that we would like more (money, clothes, vacations etc.) it would probably be hard to argue that we need more. In the Ethics of Our Fathers (some of the most poignant ethical teachings in Judaism) we are taught; “Who is rich? He who is satisfied with what he has.” He who trains himself to be happy with his lot will be as happy as the richest person on the planet, in fact it can be argued that he is the richest person on the planet. It is with this in mind that I am asking for your help at this time. Many are thinking ahead to April 15th, Tax Day. Many are now making their decision about how much they want to contribute to a worthy cause and to therefore be able to maximize their tax deductions. I am asking that you include Chabad at La Costa / North County Jewish Center in your plans. Your tax-deductible contribution does so much! It enables us to do something as simple as keep the lights on or bring chicken soup to someone who is not well, and it also helps us do something as sublime as teach a child the beauty of his/her heritage or hold inspirational services every Shabbat. Your generous contributions help us do all that we do, which makes you our partner in everything we accomplish. Indeed you are being offered the opportunity of ‘getting in on the ground level’ of the best investment possible; an investment withguaranteed results!
Please take a moment to share your gratitude for all that you have been blessed with by sharing with others. Please take a moment to log onto our secure website www.chabadatlacosta.com/donate, and make a profound difference in the life of all those whom we touch. You can also make your donation via check if that is more convenient. G-d has given you the ultimate privilege, and that is to be His partner in perfecting this physical and mundane physical world and transforming it into something G-dly and beautiful! G-d bless you for your generosity and support! Sincerely, Rabbi Eilfort Chinese Friday Night Dinner & Community Board Games Everyone knows of the ancient Jewish Tradition of having Chinese Food on December 25th. Well, this year December 25th happens to fall on a Friday – so we will have a beautiful Friday Night Dinner together featuring the most scrumptious Chinese Food. Candle lighting is at 4:30pm, followed by a word of Torah by the Rabbi and a family-friendly Friday night service. Dinner will be served at 5:30pm. Following dinner we will have board games available to play together. The cost to attend is $18 per adult and $10 per child – not to exceed $50 per family. Reservations are necessary to attend by sending an email to us at[email protected] or by calling 760-943-8891. Weekly Class Schedule Daily: Code of Jewish Law with Rabbi E – Following Minyan Shabbat: During Mincha – Women’s Issues with the Rebbetzin Monday: Caffeine for the Soul – A Class for Women @ Target, Encinitas – 12pm Tuesday: Jewish Mysticism – 7:30pm Wednesday: Torah Portion of the Week – 7:30pm. Special Wishes HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes go out to Rabbi Zecharia Sionit, and all of those celebrating their birthdays this week! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY wishes go out to all of those celebrating their anniversaries this week! We remember all of those who have a Yarzeit this week. May Roz Mintz and Mel Bridge be blessed with a full and complete recovery! ### Hebrew School – Hebrew School this Week Give your children the Jewish education that they deserve! Our Sunday Hebrew School offers lots of hands-on activities and positive reinforcement. Students learn Hebrew language skills, Jewish living and observance, Jewish history, and so much more! We include arts & crafts, field trips, and holiday programming to make their experience even more enjoyable. Your child will have fun as he or she gains an appreciation for the ‘why’s and ‘how’s of Judaism. Our students want to be here! Need a Minyan? If you need a Minyan to say Kaddish please give the office at least a few days notice. We are happy to provide this important service, but it takes time to arrange enough participants to assure the quorum is present. Please email [email protected] your request. Learn the Code of Jewish Law with Rabbi Eilfort A daily class in practical Jewish Law is held immediately following the Minyan taught by Rabbi Eilfort. Using the Code of Jewish Law, known in Hebrew as the Shulchan Aruch, participants are able to discuss the laws while learning about the ongoing opportunities one has to serve the Almighty on a moment-by-moment basis. The class begins at about 8:50am and lasts for about 20 minutes. There is no charge to attend. Memorial Plaques & Tree of Life Plaques Available Our beautiful Memorial Boards have been installed. We specifically designed our custom-built bookcases to ‘frame’ each of the boards. The first Memorial Board was dedicated by the Brunelle Family and the new Board was dedicated by the Alter Family. We are currently offering Memorial Plaques to those who wish to perpetually honor the memory of a loved one in a most dignified and permanent manner. Those who dedicate Memorial Plaques will also receive yearly reminders of the Yarzeit and the light on the Board will be illuminated each year on the Yarzeit. We also have a gorgeous Tree of Life dedicated by the Lieberman Family that will shortly be going up. The purpose of the plaques on the Tree of Life is to commemorate joyous occasions (like Bar/Bat Mitzvah, anniversaries, special birthdays, weddings etc.). The donation is only $360 per plaque for either the Memorial Board or the Tree of Life. Those who wish to participate should send an email to[email protected], or call Rabbi Eilfort at 760-943-8891. Cell Phones & Chatting During Services Needless to say the sanctuary on Shabbat or holidays is a place that must be conducive to reflective prayers and serenity. To help keep it this way, please refrain from engaging in any conversations during services and please do not bring in your cell phone. Thank you for your cooperation. Shul Etiquette Those who join us regularly for Shabbat services will agree that we have something very special going. The family-friendly atmosphere is unique and most inviting. We welcome everyone as though he/she is a long time member of the family. At the same time it is important to remember that we are a synagogue. Our sanctuary is meant to be a place where it is conducive to finding inner peace and tranquility. That is why the Rabbis have many laws concerning the decorum of a shul. It is appropriate to dress modestly and to dress somewhat formally in shul. Men should wear button down shirts, slacks (no jeans or shorts), with jackets and even ties when possible. Of course the head is to be kept covered at all times. Women should wear skirts that go past the knees and blouses with high neck lines and sleeves that cover the elbows. Married women should wear hats and the like. Children must be supervised at all times by the parents except during Junior Congregation (11:30am). While we want the children to have a great time together it is also important that they do not become so wild and/or boisterous that they disturb those of us who are participating in the services. We must remember that we should walk to shul and never park in the parking lot if there already eight cars parked. Finally, and we fully realize this goes against Jewish DNA, it is appropriate to come to shul ON TIME. While we know everyone is vying to be counted as the 10th, we are equally sure Hashem will give extra credit to those who come ON TIME at 10am (not to be confused with 11:30). We look forward to seeing you here! Please Patronize Our Sponsors Your Chabad Real Estate Agent & Mortgage Broker Jonathan Rozansky is a licensed realtor and mortgage professional. Whether you are Selling, Buying or Refinancing your home, do not proceed without calling Jonathan Rozansky first. Jonathan will look out for your best interest and can answer all your real estate and financing questions. Call for a free market analysis report today. Jonathan Rozansky Direct (619) 392-1234 DRE. # 01754457 NMLS ID : 315987 Ron Lewis Insurance Services 760.525.5769 / [email protected] Specializing in Medicare Supplements, Long-term care (LTC) plans, Individual health plans, Dental, and Term life insurance. Need health or life insurance or know someone who does? If so, please visit http://InsuranceProductQuotes.com and get plan and rate comparisons INSTANTLY from the major insurance carriers in California and Washington. Apply directly online or call for more information. There is no charge for this service! Interested in having long-term care insurance WITHOUT purchasing an expensive LTC insurance plan? Watch this 10 minute video: http://www.westlandinc.com/downloads/10MinMG/player.html Neal Sperling Business Development Highly talented, highly experienced business development/marketing consultant to wide range of businesses and non-profits can help you to find innovative new ways to raise money, launch, brand, market, sell, merchandise, and promote your products, services, and organization. Has written and improved wide variety of business plans, marketing plans, obtained major grants/new funding for a wide variety of ventures. Has unique ability to study most any business, quickly and creatively identify new sources of potential revenue, reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and drive more sales in the quickest time frames. Recognized expert on how to drive new sales via the internet. Acclaimed speaker to Southern California business groups, and particularly known for being a great “connector” with ability to introduce you to a wide variety of hard-to-reach decision-makers in various fields. Strong background in consumer products, medical products, high tech, "clean tech," "green" products, non-profits, much more. Call for details: cell: 818-219-9585. Dream Home Cinema *Family Room Surround *Wholesale House Audio *Home Automation Joseph Markowitz: 760-415-8742 Energy, Health, Weight Loss I help people get resultswith having more energy, losing weightand improving their health with safe, natural, guaranteed kosher products along with free coaching. Leah/Linda Buckner 760-63+5-3405. For free samples, including Power Breakfast, call me or fill out contact info at www.FeelGreatSamples.com. For Skin Care samples,www.MySkinCareSurvey.com. Your referrals are appreciated. Cost Effective Advertising Available HERE Hundreds of people see Chabad at La Costa's Weekly Email Update. Those who are looking to effectively promote their business and at the same time support this important community resource are invited to become sponsors for only $50 per month (that's per MONTH, not per week). Call Rabbi Eilfort at 760-943-8891 to get your message out there. |
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