What's the Spiel? - Parshat Bamidbar/Shavuot

On Shavuot, the Jewish people celebrate the giving and the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. What was the Jewish people’s connection like to God at that moment? Who did the Jewish think they were in relation to God on the day when heaven descended to meet earth? To help answer this question, we need to study the response the Jewish people gave upon learning of the very precious gift they were about the receive and be charged to care for: “All that the Lord has said, we will do and we will listen” (Shemot 24:7).

According to the Talmud, Israel’s response of “we will do” before saying “we will listen,” was not only correct, but meritorious, as it says, “When the Jewish people accorded precedence to the declaration ‘we will do’ over ‘we will listen,’ a Divine Voice emerged and said to them, ‘Who revealed to My children this secret that only the ministering angels know?’” (B. Talmud, Shabbat 88a). In other words, the manner in which the Jewish people responded to God was the exact way the ministering angels, those closest to the Throne of Glory, respond to God. The Jewish people, at the moment of the giving of the Torah, must have felt extremely close to their Maker, as close, in fact, as the angels on high. God, in the Talmud’s account, calls them “My children,” as it is clear that God felt as close to the Jewish people as a parent to a child, and the Jewish people felt as close to God as a child to a parent. But how does their response demonstrate this?

Rebbe Meir Shapiro of Lublin answers this question in the following way: “There is a difference between the child of a king, and the servant of a king. The child, when commanded by the king, fulfills his parent’s word and then waits in anxious anticipation to hear more concerning what else he can do for him out of love and devotion. The servant, however, only does that which the king commands, but does not desire to do any additional labors.” That is to say, the servant views his relationship with the king through the lens of work. Once the servant has completed his task, he has no more desire to interact with the king. He would rather stay at home, relax, and not be bothered after a long day. “But this,” says Rebbe Meir Shapiro, “is the great innovation of Israel’s response to God, ‘we will do and we will listen.’ For in their response, they showed that they were not like servants to the King, but rather, like the children of the King! Their response showed that it was not enough to just do what their parent asked of them, they also wanted to see what else he would command.” Unlike the servant who hears and does, and then wants to do no more, the Jewish people, as children of God, children of the King, not only do, they want to hear more from the mouth of their Beloved to learn what else they can do so that they can be constantly involved in fulfilling His Will every moment of every day.

This Shavuot, as we celebrate the giving of the Torah, let us consider how we relate to God and Torah. Do we simply perform mitzvot like a servant, wishing to just “get the job done” so that we can move on and then do what we really want? Or, do we perform mitzvot like a child of the king, doing them because we love our King, always ready to hear what else we can do to fulfill His Will and our mission. This Shavuot, let us feel as the Jewish people felt at Sinai, that we are as close to God as the ministering angels, as a child to a parent. This Shavuot, may that love and intimate connection we have with our Creator open our hearts to always seek to do God’s Will, and open our ears to always listen for one more commandment, one more act of chesed, one more good deed we can do as a command issued by the King to His child, out of love, devotion and trust.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

-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 8:11PM

Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat

7:30PM

Saturday

Shacharit

9:00AM

Kids Service

10:30AM

Mincha

8:00PM

*Maariv: Daven at Home*

9:11PM

Candle Lighting

After 9:11PM

*Havdallah During Kiddush at Home*

Tikun Leil Shavuot Part 1

“Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost: Tracking Ten Tribes” (10:30PM-11:20PM)

Class by Rabbi Belsky

“From Sinai to Shushan: Barrels, Coercion, Free Will and Torah in Your Life” (11:25PM-12:30AM)

Class by Rabbi Dan

Sunday, Shavuot Day #1

Shacharit

9:00AM

Tikun Leil Shavuot Part II (6:15pm-8:10pm)

“Saying ‘No’ to Torah: A New Look at an Old Midrash” (6:15pm-7:10pm)

Class by Rabbi Belsky

“What’s in a Name?: Essence, Anxiety and Legacy” (7:15pm-8:10pm)

Class by Rabbi Dan

Mincha/Maariv

8:15PM

Candle Lighting

After 9:11PM

Monday, Shavuot Day #2

Shacharit

9:00AM

Megillat Rut

Yizkor

Mincha

8:15PM

Maariv and Havdallah

9:11PM

Thank you Norman Eckstein for sponsoring Kiddush in honor of CTI and in memory of 24th Yahrzeit of his grandfather Abraham Marson, Yosef Chaim Avraham Lazar ben David z'l

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.

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: Alana Pompa

Membership Committee: Sarah Wander

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

Joshua Rosenberg on June 5

Offer Shavit on June 8

Jean Woloszko on June 10

Anniversaries

Robert and Susan Millner on June 5

Bet

If you have any birthdays or anniversaries you would

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

Yahrzeit Remembrances

Leopold Klein, Father of Rosemary Klein- Robbins, on Sunday 6 Sivan

Beatrice Altman, Mother of Arthur Altman, on Monday 7 Sivan

Sarah Glick Smith, Mother of Larry Smith, on Friday 11 Sivan

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 anonymous donors

Thank you Mitch & Patti Davis for their donation in honor of Beth & Eric Shapiro

Thank you Rick Goldberg for his aliyot donation

Thank you Yuval Shavit for his aliyah donation

Thank you Marty & Katie Price for their donation

Thank you Jean and Eveline Woloszko for their donation

_________________

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

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.