This weeks Parsha Preview is co-dedicated to the refuah of Sara bat Hodda, Avraham Moshe Ben Miriam Tova and Kyla Chaya Bat Sarah Polsun may Hashem grant them all a complete recovery very soon. This weeks Parsha Preview is also dedicated in memory of my great uncle David Ben Mordechai on the occasion of his Yahrtzeit. May his Neshama have an Aliyah.
Happy Birthday to my friends who will celebrate Birthday's this coming week:
Happy Birthday to:
Gabe Pinto
Zack Steel
Max Bensabat
“Ad Meyah Vesrim Shannah”
Vayeishev
Genesis 37:1–40:23
Candle Lighting in Toronto 4:22 P.M.
Candle Lighting in Thornhill 4:22 P.M.
As of December 4, we switch to Barech Aleynu in the shomai Esrai (If your custom is Sephardi ) and Vetain Tal Umatar Levracha (if your custom is Askenazi).
First Night of Channukah is Friday Night December 11, 2009. Three Brachot, Lhadlik Ner (Shel) Channukah, Sheasa Nissim Lavoteynu and Sheheciyanu. Channukah Candles first then Shabbat Candles. Candles must burn a minimum of one hour and forty-five minutes after Shabbat Candle lighting time.
Shabbat Mevorchim (Blessing of The New Moon)
Molad for Tevet is Thursday 12:59 A.M. and 10 Chalakim Jerusalem Time
Rosh Chodesh will take Place Wednesday Night December 16 and Thursday December 17, 2009.
Main characters of this week’s Parsha
Yaakov
Yosef
Reuven
Yehuda
Shimon
Levi
Tamar
Yaakov makes his home in Hebron with his twelve sons. His favorite is 17-year-old Yosef, whose brothers are envious of the favored treatment he receives from his father, such as an expensive many-colored tunic that Yaakov makes for Yosef. Yosef relates to his brothers two dreams he has which predict that he is fated to rule over them, escalating their envy and loathing towards him.
Shimon and Levi conspire to kill their brother Yosef, but Reuven suggests that they throw him into a pit instead, intending to come back later and save him. While Yosef is in the pit, Yehuda sells him to a band of passing Ishmaelites. The brothers immerse Yosef's special coat in the blood of a goat and show it to their father, leading him to believe that his dearly loved son was devoured by a wild beast.
Yehuda marries and has three sons. The eldest, Er, dies young and childless, and his wife Tamar (The Torah describes Tamar as being one of the most beautiful women in the world) is given in levirate marriage to the second son, Onan. Onan sins by spilling his seed and he, too, meets an early death. Yehuda is hesitant to have his third son marry her. Determined to have a child from Yehuda's family, Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute and seduces Yehuda himself. Yehuda hears that his daughter-in-law has become pregnant and orders her executed for harlotry, but when Tamar produces some personal effects he left with her as a pledge for payment, he publicly admits that he is the father. Tamar gives birth to twin sons, Peretz (an ancestor of King David) and Zerach.
Yosef is taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the minister in charge of Pharaoh's slaughterhouses (some commentaries say the house of executioners). G-d blesses everything that Yosef touches and soon he is made overseer of his entire master's property. Potiphar's wife desires the attractive and charismatic lad (based on a misinterpreted prophecy); when Yosef scorns her advances, she tells her husband that the Hebrew slave tried to force himself on her and has him thrown in prison. Yosef gains the trust and admiration of his jailers, who appoint him to a position of authority in the prison administration.
In prison, Yosef meets Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker, both imprisoned for offending their royal master. Both have troubling dreams, which Yosef interprets; in three days, he tells them, the butler will be released and the baker hanged. Yosef asks the butler to plead on his behalf with Pharaoh. Yosef's predictions are fulfilled, but the butler forgets all about Yosef and does nothing for him.
Food for further thought……….
Who Really Sold Yosef?
After throwing your brother into a pit to die, would you be able to sit down to eat? Yosef's brothers did, as the Torah tells us (see 37:24-25)
However, the Torah does not tell us if they sat near the pit, listening to Yosef's screaming and pleading, or if they sat far away from the pit, to enjoy some peace and quiet.
So what difference does it make?
Believe it or not, this tiny detail affects our understanding of almost every aspect of the story that ensues. In this week's question we will entertain each of these two possibilities - showing how this missing detail leads several commentators to conclude that the brothers may never have sold Yosef after all.
If you would like this Parsha Preview to be dedicated in honour of a loved one’s Yartzeit or to mark an occasion please let me know.
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If you need a place for Shabbat Meals or you would like to experience a more traditional Shabbat experience please do not hesitate to call. 416-829-1761.
Yitzchak Alloul
SHABBAT CHANUKAH: LAWS and CUSTOMS
The following is a summary of the special halachot (laws) that apply to Shabbat Chanukah.
If you have a question or a situation does occur it is best to contact and ask your Rabbi for answers.
PREPARATIONS
If possible, one should daven (pray) Minchah on Friday before lighting Chanukah candles. There are two reasons for davening Minchah early: 1) The afternoon Tamid sacrifice, which corresponds to our Minchah service, was always brought before the lighting of the Menorah in the Beit ha-Mikdash; 2) Davening Minchah after lighting Chanukah candles appears contradictory, since Minchah "belongs" to Friday, while the Chanukah candles belong to Shabbat. If an early minyan is not available, then it is better to light first and daven with a minyan afterwards. The oil or candles should be able to burn for at least one hour and forty-five minutes. If the oil and candles cannot possibly burn that long, one does not fulfill the mitzvah even b'diavad (after the fact), according to some opinions.
B. Enough oil (or long enough candles) to burn for at least one hour and forty-five minutes must be placed in the menorah before it is lit. If one neglected to put in enough oil and realized his error only after lighting the menorah, he may not add more oil. He must rather extinguish the flame, add oil, and then re-kindle the wick. The blessings, however, are not repeated. Provided Shabbat Candles have not been lit.
C. One who does not have enough oil for all the wicks to burn for an hour and forty-five minutes must make sure that at least one light has enough oil to burn that long. [Since Shabbat this year falls on the first night of Channukah then the 1st light must be the one that must burn for one hour and forty-five minutes and not Shames].
D. Since it is customary in many homes that children under bar mitzvah to light Chanukah candles, too, this custom should be observed on erev Shabbat as well. Preferably, the child's menorah should also have enough oil (or long enough candles) to burn an hour and forty-five minutes. If, however, it is difficult or impractical to do so, many poskim permit a child to light with the blessings even though his lights will not last for the full length of time.
E. The menorah should be placed in a spot where opening or closing a door [or window] will not fan or extinguish the flame.
F. A guest who is eating and sleeping over lights at the home of his host even if his own home is in the same city. Preferably, he should leave his home before plag ha-Minchah.
THE TIME OF LIGHTING ON EREV SHABBAT
1. All preparations for Shabbat should be completed before Chanukah candles are lit so that all members of the household - including women and children - are present at the lighting.
2. There are two points to remember about lighting Chanukah candles on Friday afternoon: 1) Chanukah candles are always lit before Shabbat candles; 2) Chanukah candles are lit as close as possible to Shabbat. The procedure, therefore, is as follows:
L'chatchilah, (literal meaning) Chanukah candles are lit immediately before lighting Shabbat candles. B'diavad (after the fact), or under extenuating circumstances, they may be lit at any time after plag ha-Minchah. Depending on the locale, plag ha-Minchah on erev Shabbat Chanukah is generally a few minutes less or few minutes more than an hour before sunset.
In most homes, where the husband lights Chanukah candles and the wife lights Shabbat candles, the correct procedure is to light Chanukah candles five minutes or so depending on the number of people in the house who are lighting Chanukah candles before lighting Shabbat candles. As soon as Chanukah candles have been lit, the wife lights the Shabbat candles.
If many people are lighting and time is running short, a wife does not need to wait for everyone to finish lighting Chanukah candles; rather, she should light her Shabbat candles immediately. [If sunset is fast approaching, the wife should light Shabbat candles regardless of whether or not the Chanukah candles have been lit by her husband. If she sees that her husband will not light his menorah on time, she should light the Chanukah menorah herself, followed by Shabbat candles.]
In a home where the man lights both the Chanukah and the Shabbat candles [e.g., the man lives alone; the wife is away for Shabbat], the same procedure is followed. If, by mistake, he lit Shabbat candles before Chanukah candles, he should light his Chanukah candles anyway [as long as he did not have in mind to accept the Shabbat].
In a home where the woman lights both Chanukah and Shabbat candles [e.g., the woman lives alone; the husband is away for Shabbat], she must light Chanukah candles first. If, by mistake, she lit Shabbat candles first, she may no longer light Chanukah candles. She must ask another person - a man or a woman - who has not yet accepted the Shabbat to light for her. The other person must recite the blessing of lehadlik ner shel Chanukah, but she can recite the blessing of she'asah nissim [and shehecheyanu if it is the first night].
If, after lighting the Shabbat candles but before the onset of Shabbat, the Chanukah candles blew out, one must re-kindle them. One who has already accepted the Shabbat should ask another person who has not yet accepted the Shabbat to do so.
ON SHABBAT
1. The menorah may not be moved with one's hands for any reason, neither while the lights are burning nor after they are extinguished. When necessary, the menorah may be moved with one's foot, body or elbow (Shiynu-not in the usual way we would move the object) after the lights have burned out. If the place where the menorah is standing is needed for another purpose, a non-Jew may be asked to move the menorah after the lights have burned out.
2. If Al ha-nissim is mistakenly omitted during the Shemoneh Esrei or during Birkat ha-Mazon, The Shemonah Esrei and Birkat hamazon are not repeated.
3. Oil may be pressed out of latkes on Shabbos, either by hand or with a utensil.
4. Chanukah gifts may not be given or received, unless they are needed for Shabbat use.
5. In the opinion of some poskim, women are obligated to recite Hallel on Chanukah.
ON MOTZAEI SHABBAT
Candle lighting must take place as close as possible to the end of Shabbat. Some have the custom of lighting Chanukah candles even before havdalah, while others light them immediately after havdalah. All agree that any further delay in lighting Chanukah candles is prohibited. Therefore, one should hurry home from shul and immediately recite havdalah or light Chanukah candles.
A Shabbat guest who lives nearby and must go home immediately after Shabbat is over, should light in his home. If, however, he does not leave immediately after Shabbat, he should light at the home of his host. Preferably he should also eat melaveh malkah there.
Channukah Samayach
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