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Ohel Shalom Torah Center Newsletter
Parashat Noach 5778

Contact Us

 Ohel Shalom 

 

Check out our new and improved website at

ohelshalomchicago.org 


To determine if the Eruv is operational either click on the phone number link below, or call
 1-773-74-ERUV-2 (743-7882) after 2pm every Friday afternoon or every Erev Yom Tov.

 
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In This Issue
This Week at Ohel Shalom
Personalities in the Bible Shiur Schedule
Cholim List Update
Kitchen Rotation
Amazon Smile
Geshem
Eruv Check- In
Kollel Korner
Davening Times
 
Shabbat
Candle lighting 
5:41 pm
Mincha 5:51 pm
Shacharit 8:15 am
 Mincha 5:16 pm
Shabbat
6:50 pm

Regular Weekdays

Shacharit
Sunday 
7:45

Monday, Thursday
6:15 am

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
6:30 am 
 
Mincha/Arvit
Sunday -Thursday
5:41 pm
 
Late Arvit following Kollel 
Sunday-Thursday
10:00 pm
Regular Shiurim  

Kollel 
 
 Open Seder  
Sunday-Thursday
 8-10pm 
 
 
Rabbi Olstein
Parasha Shiur
Wed 8:30pm (Hebrew)
Thurs 8:00pm (English)
   
~~~~ 
 
Rabbi Yosef Asayag
Monetary Issues in Halacha
 Shabbat Afternoon
45 min. Before Mincha (Hebrew) 
Ateret Chaya 
Simcha Hall 

 
~~~~
 
Men and Women

Ner Foundation 
Rabbi Raccah    

Topic:
 
Parashat HaShavu'a
Wednesdays at 8:30pm   
Shiur resumes BE"H Wed.Oct. 25th   

Personalities in the Bible
Motza'ai Shabbat at 
8:00 pm
First Shiur THIS Motzaei Shabbat, Oct. 21

MEAL  

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES  

Seuda Shlishit

$100

 

Kiddush

$250

 

Breakfast Fund

Day- $15 

Week- $75 

Month- $250 

Year - $2400  

 

Fish Fund

$20 month 

 

Hamin Fund

Monthly contribution 

 

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES  

Chair Sponsors

(127 sold - 133 left)

$20 each  

 

New Set of Artscroll Talmud Yerushalmi  

$35.00 for Talmud Yerushalmi

ONLY ONE LEFT

FOR NOW

 

Siddurim Shaarim Ba'Tifilla

($15.00 each) 

 

Chumash w/simanim  

($20 each) 


20 New Talitot  

(4 sponsored - 16 left)

$75.00 each 

 

This Week at Ohel Shalom
 
Rosh Chodesh MarCheshvan

The holidays are now behind us and next begins the month of Cheshvan with no holidays, hence called Mar Cheshvan - the bitter month. Rosh Chodesh will take place for two days, beginning Thursday evening, October 19th through Shabbat, October 21st. Chodesh Tov.  
 
Personalities in the Bible Shiur is Back!
 
The Ner Foundation and Ohel Shalom Torah Center are pleased to announce the first lecture of Rabbi Raccah's Personalities in the Bible series for this winter season, titled: "The 12 Tribes: Roots" to be held BE"H THIS  Motza'ai Shabbat, October 21st at 8PM in the Main Sanctuary. Please join! The next Shiur will BE"H be on October 28th.  
   
Kollel and Late Arvit Resume 

So you may have made some resolutions during the High Holiday period to learn more. If so, or even if not, the Sephardic Community Kollel is a wonderful opportunity to come and explore the world of Torah. B"H Kollel will resume TONIGHT, Wednesday, October 18th at 8 pm, as will the 10 pm Arvit.
 
Kiddush Sponsorship

The Kehillah would like to thank Didier Aziza for sponsoring Kiddush in memory of his mother, Anna bat Leah. May her Neshama merit an Aliyah.
 

Rabbi Raccah's Wednesday Night Shiur

Rabbi Raccah's Wednesday night Shiur will BE"H resume on Wed. Oct. 25th. Please note that there is NO Shiur tonight, Wed. Oct. 18th.
   
 
Geshem Fund Needs Your Help

Every week you may see a section in our email about the Geshem Fund. Many people turn to the Geshem Fund for help, some on a regular basis and others when unique circumstances arise. We make an effort to address BE"H each request. Recently the fund has been called on at a much higher level than average. Additionally, the High Holiday season is one of the two times a year, the other being Pesach, that the fund makes distributions to families to enhance their holidays. Please consider helping the Geshem Fund continue to meet its goals of helping those who turn to us. We want to BE"H be able to answer the call when it comes in. 

Personalities in the Bible Shiur Schedule


During the winter, in conjunction with the Ner Foundation, Rabbi Raccah delivers a series of Shiurim on Personalities in the Bible. BA"H this winter is the 20th season. The Shiurim are thought provoking. Unless otherwise announced, the Shiurim begin at 7:30pm. The schedule is subject to change, so be sure to check back here.   
 
The first shiur is this Motza'ai Shabbat beginning at 8 PM. The title is "The 12 Tribes: Roots". 
    
October 21  נח              Beginning at 8 PM
2 October 28  לך לך         Beginning at 8 PM
3  November 4  וירא          Beginning at 8 PM
November 11  חיי שרה           
November 25 ויצא
6  December 2 וישלח
December 30 ויחי
January 6 שמות
January 13 וארא
 



Cholim List Update

We are updating our Cholim list. If you have submitted a name for a Mi Sheberach or Tehillim please contact Ayelet, the office manager, by email at office@ohelshalomchicago.org to confirm the person needs to remain on the list.

Names that have not been confirmed will be removed on November 15th.


2018 Kitchen Rotation


Come join in!! Be part of the many efforts done on behalf of our Beit Knesset!
We are updating our list for the year.

Volunteers are needed for the following:

-Buying garlic and onions
-Buying Potatoes
-Picking up meat
-Inventory of Hamin Ingredients
-Peeling/cutting potatoes
-Hamin Prep (as well soaking beans and taking out meat)
-Kiddush set up

All (women AND men) are welcome to volunteer. We also welcome substitutes for those weeks that the regular person can't do their job.

For more info or to volunteer, please see or contact Rena Raccah rena.raccah@gmail.com

Thank you!

Amazon Smile

Do you purchase items from Amazon? If so, you are in a perfect position to provide the Kehilla with much needed financial support with zero cost or additional effort from you, beyond following a few easy steps just one time.

Amazon has a philanthropic branch called Amazon Smile. All you need to do is sign up (no cost) and select our Kehilla as your charity of choice and Amazon will give the Kehilla 0.5% of all your eligible purchases! There are millions of eligible items.



Please take advantage of this opportunity
and sign up immediately.

Click here to get started.

The Geshem Fund

It has been very busy for the Geshem Fund. Significant sums of money have been distributed to dozens of people to help with rent, utilities, food and many other purposes. This has depleted the fund. Please help us help those in need.

Please open your hearts and your wallets and make checks out to the order of GESHEM FUND and give to Rabbi Raccah or put in the mailbox of the office or the shul and Ayelet will give it to Rabbi Raccah.  As you thank Hashem for all that He has blessed you with, remember the less fortunate who are struggling and in desperate need of assistance. Thank you.
Eruv Check-In
 
Is the Chicago Eruv up and operational for Shabbat? If you utilize the Eruv, it is your responsibility to check each week before Shabbat if it is up. There are now some new and easy ways to do this.

The Chicago Eruv has set up a website with this information, as well as other pertinent halachot and information about the eruv. The web address is http://chicagoeruv.tripod.com/

You can call the hotline on Erev Shabbat after 2pm and listen to the recorded message or sign up to receive a weekly e-mail update on the status of the eruv.

Click here to sign up to have the eruv weekly email update sent directly to you! 
 
To Determine if the Eruv is Operational either click on the phone number link here, or call 1-773-74-ERUV-2 (743-7882) after 2pm every Friday afternoon or every Erev Yom Tov.

 
Kollel Korner of the Sephardic Community Kollel
 
Sephardic Community Kollel
 
Come learn with the Sephardic Community Kollel from 8:00pm to 10:00pm, Sunday through Thursday. Please contact the Kollel Coordinator, Rabbi Yosef Olstein to arrange a learning partner or to receive information about the Kollel and its programs. Rabbi Olstein can be reached at 773-338-8046 or by email at Sephardic Community Kollel

  
Donations to the Kollel
  
Donations to the Kollel can also be made via credit card. Please call the shul at 773-465-5274 or email the Kollel for details.
 
Sponsor Learning in the Kollel
 
Our Rabbis tell us of the great power and merit associated with supporting Torah learning. To that end, consider sponsoring a night, a week or a month of learning in the Kollel. Examples of sponsorship purposes include: in memory of a deceased loved one for their Azkarah, to merit a Rifuah Shilamah, or to honor a loved one or friend. In addition to the great merit of supporting Torah in our community, your sponsorship will be marked with printed pages noting the intent of your support that are placed in stands on the tables in the Beit HaMidrash for the duration of your sponsorship period. 
 
Here are the costs for the various sponsorships:
 
A night of learning -  $52
A week of learning -  $100
A month of learning - $400
  
  
The Kollel appreciates the following sponsors of learning: 

A week of learning has been sponsored by Shabtay Cohen for October 16-23 in memory of his father, Matityahu ben Rachel. May his Neshama merit an Aliyah.

A week of learning has been sponsored by Julien Partouche for October 16-23 in memory of his father, Nissim ben Avraham and Gamara Levana. May his Neshama merit an Aliyah.

A day of learning has been sponsored by David Blatt for October 23-24 in memory of his father, Yitzchak ben Zisel. May his Neshama merit an Aliyah.

A month of learning has been sponsored anonymously for the month of October. The Kollel thanks the patrons for their generosity.
 
 
 
 
Halacha of the Week  
 
 
Continuation of the Laws of the Position of One's Body While Praying

Question: If one cannot join one's feet together while praying the Amida standing up but he can do so while sitting, should such an individual pray while standing with his feet separated or sitting with his feet joined together? Similarly, can one open one's eyes during the Amida prayer?

Answer: In the previous Halacha we have explained that one must join one's feet together during the Amida prayer; this law is based on a verse in the Book of Yechezkel. We have also written that standing while reciting the Amida prayer is obligatory, for most Poskim rule that if one prayed Amida while sitting and later has the opportunity to pray again standing, one is obligated to pray once again.

Regarding our first question, according to most Poskim, even if one recited the Amida prayer while one's feet were separated, one has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation. On the other hand, if one prayed while sitting, if one is able to later, one must repeat the Amida prayer while standing (however, one should make this prayer a "conditional, donated prayer, as we have explained). Thus, clearly, one should pray while standing, even if one's feet will be separated rather than praying sitting down with one's feet joined together, for standing while praying the Amida is more important than the law of joining one's feet together.

Regarding our second question, the Poskim write that one must look down while praying; those individuals who look up while praying are mocked by the Heavenly angels and they are worthy of rebuke. The holy Zohar states, "One who stands in prayer must cover his eyes so as not to look at Hashem's holy presence. One who opens his eyes while praying will not merit seeing Hashem's presence at the time of his passing; rather, he will be greeted by the Angel of Death first and he shall not merit dying through a 'kiss'." The Sefer Charedim (authored by Rabbeinu Elazar Ezkari, one of the greatest sages of Tzefat during the times of Maran and the great Ari z"l) quotes the book of Rav Hamnuna Sava who writes that this punishment is actually measure for measure, for just as one disrespects Hashem's presence by looking at it while praying, at the time of one's passing when one wishes to leave this world through the death of "kiss" by gazing at the presence of Hashem, this person will not merit seeing the holy presence of Hashem, as the verse (Shmuel I 2, 30) states, "For I shall honor those who honor me and those who disparage me shall be degraded."

Nevertheless, one who usually prays from within a Siddur may certainly look in the Siddur while reciting the Amida prayer; however, one should take care not to look around and merely gaze directly into the Siddur. This is truly a worthy custom, for praying from within a Siddur makes it much easier for most people to concentrate on the prayer and will usually prevent one from erring while praying. The custom of Maran Rabbeinu zt"l was indeed to recite the Amida from within a Siddur.

EVENTS CALENDAR


If you have a Simcha occurring within the next few months that you would like to have added to the calendar, please call the off ice at 773-465-5274 or email the office with the link provided in the sidebar at the top of the email.  

October 21 - First Personalities in the Bible Shiur
October 28 - Personalities in the Bible Shiur
November 4 - Personalities in the Bible Shiur

Ad Section
 
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Mr. Felix Dayan is selling cemetery plots in the Makom Shalom Annex of the Old Orchard cemetery for a significantly reduced rate. Mr. Dayan can be reached at home at 847-729-0154 or on his cell at 847-877-3485.