בס"ד
                           Kehillat Shomre Hadas Antwerpen                              



Weekly Humor

My wife & I have a perfect understanding. I don't try to run her life and I don't try to run mine!!

A woman has the last word in an argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument!

Vaeira
 Antwerpen Times
 
Friday 
27/1  -  כ"ט טבת 


Candle Lighting  

17:06

Saturday 
28/1  -  א' טבת
   
Shabbos Ends

18:20


Community News

On behalf of the entire community I would like to wish a Mazal Tov to  Eran & Yael Vachtel on the birth of a baby boy. May he grow to be a shining Jewish example for the entire community. Much nachas to his proud parents, grandparents Ronen & Leni Levy and to the entire family.


On behalf of the entire Kehilla I would like to wish a Mazal Tov to Kevin & Sally Lewy on the birth of a baby girl. May she grow to be a shining light to the entire community. Much nachas to her proud parents, grandparents Lucien Lewy,Martine Baugneit and Serge & Nadine Gaertner and to the entire family.


 

If I missed any Mazal Tovs or news please send them to info@shomre-hadas.be


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From the Rabbi's Desk



I hope and pray that all is well with you and your family.

Thanks to a wonderful sponsor the entrance to the the VDN women's section and parts of the synagogue are being repainted. Thank You & Kol Hakovod! 
For pictures click here.

We enjoyed world renowned speaker and author, Dr. Lisa Aiken, who gave a fascinating lecture as a Lunch and Learn in the diamond bourse, and then in the evening in the Van Den Nest hall. Thank you to all those that helped to make it happen and all those that participated.

Guest Chazan: This Shabbat Chazan Rephoel C. Muller from Manchester England will be leading the Tefilla together with the choir directed by Dr. Deutch.

Wishing you & your family a sweet & happy Shabbat! 

Rabbi Who Watered Plants - Hakarat Hatov

Center is Rav Gustman.
The child prodigy of Vilna Lithuania who would later become the dean of the Netzach Yisrael Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rav Yisrael Gustman had a small garden outside his office at the Yeshiva, and every day he would go out to work in the garden, watering the plants. The students at the Yeshiva would gaze at this action with curiosity, as to why their great scholarly dean would spend his precious time watering and taking care of plants. Once upon seeing the curiosity of his students, he explained to them that this was an act of Hakarat Hatov - recognizing and showing gratitude.

Prior to war, he was once taking a walk with his teacher, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski , as he would do frequently on Shabbat afternoon. Rav Chaim pointed out to him which vegetation and grasses were edible, this information turned out to be very important to Rav Gustman, enabling him to save his life during his escapes into the forest when the Nazis invaded Vilna. Consequently, Rav Gustman felt that watering the plants was an act of Hakarat Hatov to these various grasses and vegetation that had sustained him during the war. Hence, even during time of Torah study for the rest of the Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva was performing a mitzvah that he would perform very frequently during the week.

This important demonstration of hakaras hatov ( gratitude) is portrayed by our first teacher and leader, Moshe in this week's Torah reading, Parashat Vaeira.
 As opposed to the 7 other plagues, where G-d commanded Moshe to perform an action that brought the plague, in the first three plagues of blood, frogs and lice, G-d commanded his brother Aharon to bring the plague.  

The commentaries explain that this was because the first three plagues inflicted the Nile river and sand, two things that had protected Moshe earlier in life. The water had saved him when he was a baby and the sand had saved him later on in life. Therefore, as an act of gratitude towards these two inanimate objects, Moshe did not strike the water or the sand, his brother Aharon did.
 
If we must show gratitude towards inanimate things, how much more so should we show Hakarat Hatov to human beings who help us and do something kind to us.
One of the most important parts of our service to G-d is recognizing all the good that what He performs for us, giving us whatever we have in all aspects of wealth, health and happiness.

Additionally, being a person who regularly has Hakarat Hatov will make you into a happier and more fulfilled person. As Rebbe Nachman of Breslov writes, "Gratitude rejoices with her sister joy, and is always ready to light a candle and have a party. Gratitude doesn't much like the old cronies of boredom, despair and taking life for granted."    

A story that inspires 
Kaiser Rudolph, the King of Bohemia.
 
Many years ago in Poland there lived a It happened once that Kaiser Rudolph, the King of Bohemia, decided to wage war against a neighboring country. After several weeks of fierce and unrelenting battle the Bohemian forces suffered a military defeat, and the Kaiser himself was taken captive. For many months the Kaiser languished in a tiny prison cell under unendurable conditions, his only hope a swift execution to relieve him of his suffering and humiliation.

One day the Kaiser was looking out the window when he noticed an elderly Jew with a long white beard passing by the jail. The Jew stopped and peered inside, beholding the pathetic figure of the captured monarch. The Kaiser was elated; it was the first time anyone had made eye contact with him in ages. "Come here!" he begged him in a whisper. The Jew walked over to the window. "Don't you recognize me? I am Kaiser Rudolph, King of Bohemia."

"If that is true, the Kaiser has changed greatly in appearance," the Jew replied, clearly skeptical. But the prisoner continued to insist that he was the King, and eventually convinced the Jew of his identity. The old Jew picked up his walking stick and began to beat at the window bars. After a few well-placed blows the bars were loosened. Making sure that no one was watching, the Kaiser climbed out the window and took his first breath of freedom. Quickly, he followed his rescuer back to his house.

The Kaiser wanted to slip over the border immediately and resume his throne, but the Jew demurred. "Your Majesty, it isn't fitting for a king to make a public entrance in such a reduced state. Surely your Majesty will want to bathe and improve his appearance before returning."

The Jew walked over to the closet and took out two small silver trays. On one was a set of hairbrushes, and on the other, a scissors and file for paring the nails. The Kaiser had tears in his eyes as he accepted them gratefully. "I will never forget your kindness," he declared from the bottom of his heart.
Bust of Rudolf II in Antwerp City Hall.

At that moment the Kaiser awoke from his dream, his heart pounding and covered in perspiration. A second later the perspiration turned to ice, as his eyes fell on the two small silver trays on the chest in his royal chamber. But there was no time for reflection, as a knock on the door heralded the entry of the King's valet. "Your Majesty, the royal barber is here to see you," he announced. "Let him wait," the Kaiser replied, too disturbed to even think about haircuts.

The Kaiser wondered if there was any connection between the previous day's events and his peculiar dream: The day before, a group of the King's closest confidants had approached him to voice their complaints about Rabbi Yehuda Lowy, the Maharal of Prague. Irritated by the great esteem in which he was held by Jew and non-Jew alike, they had demanded that something be done to punish the flourishing Jewish community of which he was head.

The anti-Semites had insisted that all the Jews be expelled from Prague, but their words had fallen on deaf ears. The Kaiser had heard much about the Maharal's wisdom, and was actually a secret admirer. In the King's opinion, none of the stories he'd been told about the Jews justified taking such a step.
Realizing that they were getting nowhere, the contingent had turned its attention to the Queen, a silly woman who was easily manipulated, and convinced her of the need to implement their plan. The Kaiser would now have to contend with a nagging wife.

The Queen's pleas were indeed insistent. That night, just before he had gone to sleep, the Queen had thrust the already prepared order of expulsion into her husband's hands. The King, wanting some peace and quiet, had promised to make his decision the following morning.

The King was very confused by the vivid dream, and decided that the only one who could explain it properly was the Maharal himself. A royal messenger and carriage were immediately dispatched to fetch the Rabbi.
Synagogue where the Maharal was Rabbi.

The King was waiting expectantly when the Maharal arrived at the palace. "How is it that the Chief Rabbi of the Jews didn't recognize the Kaiser last night?" he demanded. The Maharal looked at him shrewdly. "Your Majesty," he explained, "don't forget that the Kaiser was changed greatly in appearance."
"So you're already aware of my dream!" the King said excitedly. "Can you also tell me what it means?"

The Maharal asked the Kaiser to send his servant for the order of expulsion on his night table. The Kaiser drew in his breath; he himself had already forgotten where he'd put the document. "If your Majesty will destroy this document, he will never again have such dreams," the Maharal promised.

From that day on the King of Bohemia and the Maharal enjoyed a cordial relationship. Needless to say, the enemies of the Jews were defeated, powerless in the face of the Kaiser's obvious admiration for the great Rabbi.


Wishing you and your family a happy & successful week
 
Best Regards,

Rav Ephraim Carlebach
Shomre Hadas