March 23, 2012 Vayikra
S.T.A.R. News & Events
Here are S.T.A.R.’s upcoming exciting events:
April 22, 2012
SAVE THE DATE
S.T.A.R. Community Lag B’Omer Extravaganza at the Santa Monica Pier May 9th, 2012.
Come and join thousands of Jews from all kinds of background on the happiest time of the year.
This Shabbat
Shabbat Parashat: Vayikra
Candle Lighting: 6:51pm
Shabbat Ends: 7:46pm
Torah Message
Why Can’t I Hear G-d Talking To Me?
"And He called…"(1:1)
The London Symphony Orchestra takes its place on the podium of the Royal Albert Hall. The large double basses mournfully tune up. The piccolos prance from one octave to another. The dull dooming thud of a muted timpani is heard. Two swift taps of the baton on the lectern. The cacophony ceases, replaced by a mighty chord played by eighty instruments. The chord grows longer and longer and louder and louder. The entire audience is enthralled in rapt attention. The entire audience, that is, except a rather eccentric gentleman leaning over the balcony. He seems somewhat distracted. He keeps looking this way and that. His concentration is anywhere except on the music. It’s not surprising, however, for covering his ears are a large pair of canary yellow plastic sound-excluders. The sort that you see ground crews use when they refuel airplanes.
After a couple of minutes the next-door neighbor to this fellow cannot contain himself any longer. He leans over the balcony and starts gesturing to the fellow, pointing at the sound-excluders and miming "Your ears are blocked! You can’t hear anything because your ears are blocked!" The other fellow scrunches up his brow, cocks his head to one side as if to say, "What are you saying?" So once again the other points to the sound excluders and mimes even more loudly than before, "You can’t hear anything because your ears are blocked!"
The other fellow finally realizes that someone is trying to communicate with him and so he takes off his canary yellow sound-excluders and says blithely to the other, "I’m sorry. I can’t hear you. You see, my ears are blocked."
Look at the world. It’s not a pretty picture. I don’t want to spoil your Shabbat, but I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that world-wide poverty is on the increase, that our natural resources are dwindling at an alarming rate and that selfishness, greed and intolerance are as popular as ever.
Where is G-d? Is this a G-dly world?
No. This is not the world that G-d wants. It’s the world that man wants. G-d has created man as the being that chooses. This is man’s unique privilege – and his responsibility. There can be no choice without the potential to choose incorrectly. A world where choice has no consequences is, effectively, a world without choice. The world looks like it does because man chooses it to be this way, and most of the time man’s choices are dominated by his own selfishness.
The spiritual Masters teach that when G-d spoke to Moshe He spoke in voice that was overpoweringly loud, a voice that was vast enough to pulverize mighty trees. Nevertheless, the only one person who heard the voice was our Teacher, Moshe. And when Moshe heard that voice it sounded to him like a loving and gentle summons: "Moshe, Moshe…"
G-d’s voice is the loudest thing in this world. If we can’t hear it that’s because our ears are plugged with the wax of our own selfishness and egos, the detritus of ignoring the Designer and His design for this world.
- Sources: Rashi; Sifra
Rabbi M. Weiss Rabbi Y. Sakhai
Community News
Em Habanim Congregation
Weekly Parashat Hashavua class with Rabbi Joshua Bittan on Wednesdays at 8:30pm for more info. visit www.emhabanim.com
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Get Well Soon
We urge the whole community and all the jews around the world to pray for two 16 year old boys that were in a tragic accident. May hashem grant them a full Refuah Shelema and may he grant their families patience and nachat, Amen.
Ariel Menachem Chayim ben Miryam & Daniel ben Sara
We wish a speedy recovery for all the Jews that may need it where ever they may be and especially for:
Em Habanim:
Max Barchichat From Sephardic Temple: Al Azus,Buena Angel,
Elaine Leon,Itzchak Rachmanony
From S.T.A.R.:
Mordechai Chaim Ben Chana, Chaim Ben Buena,
Meshulam Dov Ben Chana Sarah
Bracha Eliza Bat Ehteram, Bracha Sara Chaya Bat Ronit,
Donna Devora bat Sara
