What's the Spiel? - Shabbat Mevarchim

This week's parsha, Parshat Shelach, is among the most heart-breaking parshiyot in the Torah. Moshe heeds God's command to "Send forth for yourself men, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan that I give to the Children of Israel; one man each from his father's tribe shall you send, every one a leader among them" (Bamidbar 13:1-2). Thus, twelve spies journey forth and scout out the land. However, upon their return, ten of them spoke slanderously about the land, saying, "The people that dwell in the land are powerful, the cities are very fortified and large, and we also saw there the offspring of the giant...we were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we were in their eyes!" (Ibid., 32-3). The evil report of the spies was so unnerving that it sent the people into a panic, saying, "Let us appoint a new leader and let us return to Egypt!" (Ibid., 14:4). The Jewish people refused to enter the land upon hearing the frightening message of the spies, and so they wished to return to Egypt with a new leader. But, what were the people really asking for when they exclaimed, "Let us appoint a new leader?"

Rashi teaches us that their request for a new leader could mean one of the two things: "Let us appoint a leader, [that is to say] let us set a king over us. [However], our Rabbis explained [the word leader] as meaning an idol" (Rashi on Bamidbar 14:4). Why should the Jewish people desire to return to Egypt be interpreted as a desire for idolatry? To help answer this question we should turn to the words of the Midrash Lekach Tov, which tells us, "At the moment [the Jewish people sought to return to Egypt] they rejected God." Thus, they sought a leader who would not only physically lead them back into the fiery furnace of Egyptian bondage, but also, into the boiling fleshpots of Egyptian hedonism and pagan practices. In other words, the people wanted a leader who would replace Sinai with a pyramid, Revelation with revulsion, and spirituality with sensuality.

It is clear from these interpretations that the sin of the rebellious followers of the spies' evil report was not only in rejecting the Land of Israel as their inheritance, but also in forsaking the God of Israel and the Torah of Israel. As a people, they were wilting and retreating from the dearly attained heights of spiritual excellence they had once attained. When the Jewish people exclaimed, "We cannot go up!" perhaps they were speaking less about geography and military conquest and more about spirituality. That is to say, "We cannot ascend to achieve lives of Torah. Rather, we will descend and live lives of spiritual impurity, superficiality and moral mediocrity." It was easier for this generation to conceive of themselves as slaves to Pharaoh than as servants of the Most High.

Seeking to achieve spiritual greatness is daunting. Sometimes, the spiritual heights we hope to scale prove more dangerous, disheartening and dreary than anything else. However, we, like Yehoshua and Kalev, the two spies who spoke positively about the land, must believe that as long as we feel that God is with us, we can do anything, overcome any obstacle, vanquish any foe and thrive against all odds. Yes, it is always easier to take the path of least resistance, to take the road back to Egypt, and there will always be "leaders" out there, men and women, who will be more than happy to facilitate self-destructive behavior. But it is up to us, as servants of God, to maintain the strength, the courage and the faith to keep moving forward despite evil reports, despite set-backs, fear and frustration.

We all have the ability to be like Yehoshua and Kalev in our own spiritual lives. We all have the ability to stand up amidst chaos and distress and boldly proclaim, "The land that we passed through...is very, very good! If the Lord desires us, He will bring us to this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey" (Bamidbar 14:7-8). This Shabbat, may all we feel encouraged to continue in our spiritual quests. May be never retreat from the difficulties we encounter, and may we all arrive at our Promised Lands, whole, complete, and in peace.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Rabbi Dan

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Schedule of Services

at B'nai Abraham

We encourage everyone to daven privately when unable to attend services. Use the private time to connect to Hashem. Public prayer definitely adds to our prayer experience. Yet we also have the capacity to create a profoundly meaningful private experience with the Divine. Let us seek such an experience in the coming days.

Friday Night

Candle Lighting

No later than 8:18PM

Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

7:30PM

Saturday

Shacharit

9:00AM

Kids Service

10:30AM

Mincha/Maariv

8:15PM

Havdalah

9:19PM

Sunday

Shacharit

8:30AM

Monday - Thursday

Shacharit

7:05AM

CTI Announcements

CTI Launches Operation Todah Texas

Todah means Thank You in Hebrew and Congregation Tiferet Israel (CTI), Austin’s Modern Orthodox Synagogue, based on the Dell Jewish Community Campus, is spearheading a communitywide initiative to express gratitude to the thousands of Texas Air and Army National Guardsmen and women deployed on the U.S.-Mexico border during Operation Lone Star.

CTI ‘s Rabbi Daniel Millner is one of them. A Texas Air National Guard Chaplain holding the rank of Major, Rabbi Millner is expected to spend most of the next four months providing pastoral and other support to Guard members of all faiths separated from their families, jobs and communities during the border emergency. Rabbi Dan is the sole Jewish chaplain currently deployed along the Rio Grande border.

Working with the Rabbi, a group of CTI congregants, including several who have been deployed overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, have come together to encourage fellow congregants and community members to write “thank you” letters to the troops for their service and sacrifice.

“Delivering letters from fellow Texans expressing gratitude, would really have a big impact on troop morale in what has been and will likely continue to be a tough and unprecedented mission,” Rabbi Dan explained.

The current plan is to ask individuals and families to write cards and letters on their own and drop them off in standard envelopes at the Security Guard station when entering the Dell Jewish Community Campus between 8 AM-6 PM daily.

No gifts, packages, boxes or oversized or padded envelopes can be accepted or delivered.

A CTI Operation Todah Texas Committee member will collect the cards and letters weekly and arrange to get them to Rabbi Millner who will personally distribute them to troops along the border.

Thank you for your support of Operation Todah Texas.

If you have any questions, please email OperationTodahTexas@gmail.com

Sample Letter

Dear Texas National Guardsman,

My name is XXXX XXXXX and I am writing from [Name of Congregation or Shalom Austin] in Austin to thank you for your service in Operation Lone Star.

We deeply appreciate all you are doing to keep our fellow Texans safe during the current border crisis. Your families and communities are also in our thoughts and prayers during your deployment.

We are extremely grateful for your sacrifice and wish you a safe and speedy return home to your loved ones.

With gratitude,

Name(s)

Note: You can choose to include a personal return address if you wish or simply write Operation Todah Texas on the front of the envelope.

Calling all knitters (and crocheters)! Interested in getting together with like minded TI members? We meet at Carol Rubin’s home every other Monday afternoon from 1-3pm. All levels welcome. We call it Knit and Nosh (so you know we eat too!) If interested e-mail Carol at carolrubin5@yahoo.com.

Tehillim Class, 7 PM Mondays (on Zoom)

Many people find solace in times of pain or stress by reciting Psalms, but even greater depths of meaning can be found in studying and analyzing the words of the holy poems themselves. In Rabbi Belsky’s Tehillim class, we unpack the poetry and imagery of the psalms, gaining a greater understanding of this book, which includes within it the full range of human experience, and has sustained our religious lives as Jews for millennia.

Recordings of previous classes can be found at https://tinyURL.com/BelskyTehillimClass

CTI Welcomes Rabbi Stephen Belsky

While Rabbi Dan is on deployment at Operation Lone Star, Rabbi Stephen Belsky will serve as interim rabbi for the Congregation, meeting its halakhic, spiritual and pastoral needs. We are excited to learn from and grow with Rabbi Belsky during his three-month association with CTI, and we welcome him with open arms! Baruch HaBah!

Rabbi Stephen Belsky grew up in the seaside fishing village of Brooklyn, NY, but has spent the last dozen years of his life in Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes. A graduate of the Pardes Educators Program and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, he has taught both children and adults at schools, synagogues, and other institutions; and when he isn't on the road working as an eruv builder, he is a regular speaker and teacher in Detroit's Modern Orthodox community. He loves language, speculative fiction, and the prophetic poems of doom in Tanakh, and is excited to have this opportunity to spend the summer with CTI.

Shalom Austin Mask Policy Update

Given the significant decline in the occurrence of COVID cases in the Travis County area (which is currently listed as being in Stage 2, and continuously dropping), the Medical Committee has unanimously agreed that:

Masks should no longer be mandatory at any CTI-related functions
Kiddush can move back inside, without any restrictions
Individuals who feel safer wearing masks at Shul-related events should feel free to continuing doing so
Anyone who has symptoms should NOT attend synagogue.

As always, we will continue to review and address the situation related to COVID on an as—needed basis, and make updated recommendations, as necessary.

As a service to the wider community, the Orthodox Union has researched various online platforms and has organized, collected and curated many key resources in one centralized location for your convenience. Please visit together.ou.org for a wide range of information covering the following areas: Adults, Leadership, Parenting, Seniors & Elders, Technology, Torah and Youth. Check back at together.ou.org as updates will occur regularly.

Classes currently on hold. Watch tiferetaustin.org for when classes will resume.

CTI is virtually open for all classes! Attend online with video and audio, or join through phone call alone. Visit tiferetaustin.org for more information on how to join these exciting classes:

TYT Tuesday Night

The Book of Judges

Tuesday 7:00pm

The Book of Judges teaches us about unexpected and underestimated spiritual and political leadership. Prior to the establishment of the Jewish monarchy, the nation was constantly enmeshed in fighting foreign enemies, spiritual and moral backsliding, oppression, as well as tribal in-fighting. It was a vicious cycle. The Judges came about in order to resolve these political, spiritual and moral issues and to set the people on the right track. Who were the Judges of Israel? How were they chosen, and why? While names like Shimshon, Devorah, Gidon and Yeftach may be familiar, their stories, complex personalities and murky legacies require a great deal of study. In this brand new TYT series, we will explore the life and times of the Judges of Israel – who they were, what they did, and what their contributions to Jewish history are all about. You won’t want to miss out on learning about these early leaders of the Jewish people, whose stories and personalities are as captivating as their contributions to the Jewish people are timeless.

TYT Wednesday Mornings

The Book of Second Samuel

Wednesday 8:15am

Come and join the TYT community and learn about the life and times of King David! II Samuel explores how a young David establishes both his kingdom and his kingship. Despite great promise, potential and ability, David is nevertheless beset by external and internal enemies, fighting both physical and spiritual wars. Come and see how David struggles to unite a broken and battered kingdom, establish a capital city and win the support of his people, while at the same time, striving to remain true to God’s Torah and lead a righteous life. No longer the ruddy youth, playing the harp and running for his life, II Samuel takes us through the long journey of David’s maturation process, omitting nothing, all the while exploring larger questions of morality, repentance, power and politics. While we extol David as one of the greatest Jewish heroes and leaders of all time, this book will frame his life and story in its proper context, look under the surface, and examine the complex personality of King David! This class meets each Wednesday morning, except of Jewish holidays, at 8:15am.

Mishne Torah k'Seder Friday Mornings

Mishne Torah k'Seder

Friday 8:15am

Come and join Rabbi Dan on Friday mornings at 8:15am for an in-depth exploration of the Rambam's Mishne Torah. This class will go through the Rambam's classic work on halakha (Jewish law), in a way which both engages and transforms the reader on a spiritual and intellectual level. Why did the Rambam write the Mishne Torah? What was he trying to achieve? How does the Rambam's interpretation of Jewish law, theology, history and culture differ from his rabbinic contemporaries who also wrote comprehensive Jewish legal works? What were some of the great disputes this work sparked, and why? You don't want to miss out on this great opportunity to learn what the Mishne Torah is all about.

Questions? Suggestions? Interested in Volunteering? Please contact our Committee Chairpersons.

Finance Committee: Larry Smith

Fundraising Committee: Daniel Ledeen

Marketing Committee: Jay Rubin

Education Committee: Sarah Wander

Membership Committee: Alana Pompa

Chesed Committee: Lynn Kane

Kiddush Committee: Henna Tatham

Ritual Committee: Eric Shapiro

For those new to the community, check out this introductory video

featuring Rabbi Dan and a few of our wonderful CTI community members!

Birthdays

Marshall Sack on June 27

Isaac Raschkovsky on June 30

If you have any birthdays or anniversaries you would

like to add, please update your profile on our website.

Yahrzeit Remembrances

Daniel Reichman, Father of Doreen Joffe, on Saturday 26 Sivan

Albert Gerstenhaber, Father of Gary Gerstenhaber, on Monday 28 Sivan

Robert Franklin Spertus, Brother of Philip Spertus, on Thursday 1 Tammuz

N. Jerome Chapin, Father of David Chapin, on 2 Tammuz

If you have a Yahrzeit that you would like the congregation to acknowledge, or if you have a correction that needs to be made, please update your profile on our website.

DONATIONS

Thank you to our anonymous donors

Thank you to Gary Gerstenhaber for his donation IMO his father's Yahrzeit

Thank you to Arthur Altman for his aliyah donation.

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We encourage you to use electronic payments by credit card or eCheck through CTI's website at www.tiferetaustin.org when fulfilling the mitzvah of giving Tzedakah to mark family events and milestones, including Yahrzeits, and in honor of CTI and our community.

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Spiel sponsorships are now available for a donation of $18. Advertise your business or dedicate an issue of the spiel in memory of a loved one or to celebrate a Simcha. Contact admin for more details.

Donations can be made via our website at www.tiferetaustin.org, by pressing "Make a Donation" in the sidebar, using the "Donate to CTI" button on the top left of this email, or by sending your check to: Tiferet Israel P.O. Box 27254, Austin, TX 78755. Please make check payable to Tiferet Israel and please indicate what the donation is for.

Refuah Shelayma to:

Allene Novy-Portnoy; Hannah Bassa bat Sarah Osnat
Avshalom ben Hannah Bassa
Cindy Newman
Janet Goldberg; Shayna Masha bat Chasha Mina
Ken Friedman
Rebecca Millner; Rivkah bat Shoshana
Sheina Ruchel bat Henya Leah
Tzvi David ben Rivka Golda
Yoel Simcha ben Chaya Risha
Sulta bat Nedgma
Zvi Aharon ben Bayla
Yaira bat Sarah
Tamar bat Chaya
Ilana bat Gheita
HaRav Avram Meir ben Eli Yosef v'Shira Chanah.
Rabbi Harold Liebowitz, Ha Rav Chaim Alter ben Necha.
Baruch Akiva Ben Rivka
Miriam bat Helen
Rivka Michal bat Sarah Chana
Lori Garza
Yisroel Natan ben Sarah
Masha Gitil bas Chaya Yita
Allen Levinson; Avraham Yitzchak ben Gittel

Shoshana bat Yocheved
Miriam bat Rachel v'Mordechai
Alta Shoshana bat Shulamit
Meir Psachia ben Tziril
Geni Berman Abitbol
Beilya Golda bat Leah
Yosef Yehoshua ben Sarah
Jonathan Malawer (Yosef ben Bracha)
Bowie Alarcon
Fivel ben Sarah HaLevi
Adam ben Chanah
Rafael ben Sheindal Leah
Aharon Asher ben Chaya Naomi
Esther Malka Fraida bat Serel Chaya Raiza
Kalev Boaz Chai ben Aliza
Esther Reva bat Malka
Avraham ben Rut
Peter Janson, Fievel ben Devorah
Sheva Eva bat Bella.
Dorit Iken, Dorit Chana bat Orah
Moshe ben Rut
Shulkah Malka bat Tziporah
Yehudit bat Sara
Chandal bat Basia
Shmuel Dovid bat Malka
Anthony Ben Devorah
Shayna Leah bat Yehudit

Wishing all Cholei Yisrael a Refuah Shlayma.

Dear Tiferet Friends,

If you placed a name on the Refuah Shelayma list and G-d willing the person is well,

please let us know. Also, if you have a friend or family member who needs

prayers for healing, again please let us know at admin@tiferetaustin.org

Using the CTI Website

Logging in is easy via the login button at the top of the web page. Your login ID is your email address.

Once logged in, many of the fields are pre-filled for you, to make it easier and quicker to register for an event or make a donation, and so on.

But that's not all! You will also have access to the online Member Directory, the CTI Bylaws, the minutes of Board meetings and the President,Treasurer and Rabbi Reports and other documents, all under the Resources tab. With more coming all the time!

If you have any questions or comments about the website, please contact our webmaster at admin@tiferetaustin.org.