Midway Jewish Center
56 Years Young: 1953-2009 !
THE CYBERSHUL

We’re Paperless On Purpose—Go Green!

This CyberShul has been dedicated by:

This Week’s Torah Reading

Hukkat

TuMAH (ritual impurity) is primarily contracted through contact with a human corpse, rendering a person taMEI (ritually impure), for seven days. On the third and seventh days of that period, the taMEI person is sprinkled with a concoction of fresh water and the ashes of a burnt red cow, mixed together with cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson yarn. This is known as the ritual of the paRAH aduMAH or Red Cow. Miriam’s death is recorded after which the people cry out against Moses and Aaron for the harshness of the wilderness and in particular, the lack of water. God instructs Moses to produce water from a rock. Moses takes his rod and strikes the rock twice, thus procuring much water for the community and its animals. God is disappointed in Moses and Aaron and informs them that they will not lead the people into the land. This place is known as MeriBAH or Quarrel. The Edomites deny the Israelites passage through their territory. Aaron dies at Mount Hor. His son, ElaZAR, becomes the new koHEN gaDOL (Head Priest) and the people mourn Aaron for 30 days. After the Canaanite King of Arad took some Israelites captive, Israel attacked them and leveled their cities. As the Israelites continue to complain, deadly serpents overran them. Moses’ creates a neHASH neHOshet or copper serpent which healed those who were bitten if they gazed directly at it. Israel defeats the attacking Amorites and takes possession of all their land. They also defeat King Og of BaSHAN. The people encamp upon the steppes of MoAV, across the Jordan from Jericho.

Balaak

Balak, king of Moab, dreaded Israel. He sent two delegations of elders to hire Balaam, a wizard, to curse the Israelites for a handsome reward. God first directs Balaam not to go, but then grants permission on condition that Balaam will speak only the words of God. Balaam sets out on his donkey to perform the evil task. The donkey twice sees an angel of God with a drawn sword and swerves off the road to avoid the adversary. Balaam beats the donkey each time. Seeing the angel a third time, the donkey simply sits down only to suffer a severe beating by Balaam. The donkey then speaks to his infuriated and emotional master, whereupon Balaam, finally, sees the angel too. The angel chastises Balaam for striking the animal and notes that had the donkey advanced further, Balaam would have died by the angel’s sword. The angel permits Balaam to continue but to say only that which God permits. Balak and Balaam meet. Three times, seven bulls and rams are offered to God on seven altars. Each time, when Balaam is ready to curse Israel, he utters only words of blessing. Needless to say, Balak did not pay the wizard for services rendered. Oddly enough, some Israelites fraternized with Moabite women, and ended up worshiping to BA’al PeOR, their god. A plague ravages the Israelite camp. PinHAS, son of ElaZAR, sees an Israelite and Moabite woman come into the camp. He takes a spear and skewers them both. He thus checks the plague, but not before 24,000 die. 

A Shabbat Thought

The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.

~~ Anonymous ~~

Web Of The Week

http://volunteer.ujafedny.org/site/c.kuLQJ9MSKrH/b.4018707/k.BE7F/Home.htm

Whom have you helped today?

Aural Torah

American Judaism

Honor or Memorialize Loved Ones

DEDICATE A CYBERSHUL IN THEIR NAME!!
For a Few Dollars You can Touch Someone in a Beautiful Way
A CyberShul Dedication—Only:

$125

Send your name, location, and a $125 check made payable to:

Midway Jewish Center
330 South Oyster Bay Road
Syosset, NY 11791

Send CyberShul to All Your Friends!

GOTTA QUESTION?
THE CYBER RAV HAS AN ANSWER AND GOOD NEWS--
THE CYBER RAV IS ALWAYS IN
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO rafirank@mjc.org
YOUR IDENTITY WILL NOT BE REVEALED
CONFIDENTIALITY IS ASSURED

LOSING FAITH, WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST

Dear Cyber Rav,

I have a good friend, an older Gentile man who is in his 70's. He has a large wonderful family. He is dying rapidly of cancer. I spent today with him. What I find so sad is that he has never had any type of faith and he has none now. It is so sad to see a person such as this. I attempted to comfort him to no avail, due to his lack of faith. What scares me is two-fold. If I were in a position of imminent death, would I hold true to my faith and should I be put into a situation that forced me to hold true to my faith, would I be able to sustain my faith and hold fast? These are the only things in my life that I am petrified of. Any thoughts to sustain me when my hour of need arises? I firmly attempt to lead my life by building bridges before I need them.

It is said that there are no atheists in foxholes, but I don't think that is an absolute. People who have spent their whole life without a concept of God or afterlife or heaven, do not suddenly erect those belief structures when death is imminent. I have seen this many times. No one can force another to believe, whether it is the Bat Mitzvah at the age of 12 or an elderly man lying on his death bed. My sense is that those who leave this world with a sense of the afterlife, a faith that God does not merely commit us to oblivion, do better at dying than others. It is not that God is rewarding them and punishing the atheists. It is that some leave this world with hope while others do not or cannot. Hope is better—and that's simply a value judgment that we, as Jews, embrace.

Where does faith come from? It may be generated independent of any influences around you, but most likely it is the product of being together with people whose lives are a demonstration of faith--people who believe, who pray, who make a point of bringing joy and relief into the world, who verbally say "Thank God," and so forth. When our faith falters, their faith supports us and when their faith falters, our faith inspires them. People of faith will suffer moments of doubt, but doubt is not the opposite of faith. Doubt is the demand that our faith be based on truth. Our doubts often compel us to square reality with our sense of divine justice, an enterprise that can sometimes be daunting and frustrating.

Having said that, I think that in the same way that non-believers do not necessarily "get religion" when death is imminent, I don't know of many people who become atheists when death stands at the door. After all, faith is a world view, it is an understanding of who we are in this vast world in which we live, and what our relationship to the Almighty (and vice versa) is. That doesn't dissipate at the moment of crisis. It is at the moment of crisis that this faith should kick in with full power.

Don't worry. I know you and what a deep and abiding faith you have. And moreover, I know how many people love you and would be ready to support you at a time of crisis.

Rabbi Rafi Rank
CyberRav

Shabbat Shalom Everyone!!

 To get added to the subscription list, or to be removed, or to change your email address,
click here - cybershul_subscriptions