A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI

P’sukei D’Zimrah 3, Romemu, Extolling God

We are in the middle of the P’sukei D’Zimrah section of the Shacharit Service. It is mostly about praising God. Last week we discussed the long section taken directly from 1 Chronicles 16:8-36. The next section contains a collection of verses from Psalms.  While the previous Chronicles verses essentially refer to a universal God (a God of everyone), the Psalms in this section see God as the God of Israel. As such they focus on Praise of God by Israel, and on Israel being helped by God. Although these verses are drawn from different places, together they read as if they were one unified unit.

You will recognize the first couplet of this section, pieces of which come from Psalm 99, because it is what sing when we begin marching with the Torah on Shabbat morning:

רוֹמְ֒מוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו קָדוֹשׁ הוּא:

 רוֹמְ֒מוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַר קָדְשׁוֹ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ:

Exalt Adonai, our God, and bow down at God’s footstool. Holy is God!*

Exalt Adonai, our God, and bow down at God’s holy mountain, for holy is Adonai our God.

Don’t recognize it? Listen to it here:

(Voice memo of me.)

On the other hand, if you want to hear a more polished version, click here:

https://youtu.be/YTJyOipRDMo

The total number of Psalms selected from in this section is 18. Would anyone like to guess why that might be?

Since the point of P’sukei D’Zimrah is to warm us (and God) up for the main part of the service, it is easy to understand why the Rabbis used these verses to fill the section. They will help us to feel God’s presence as we pray. As if to highlight this, the last quoted Psalm (13:6), is in the first person. It is as if the reader is getting closer and more personal.

You can find the whole section in English here:

Exalt Adonai, our God, and bow down at God’s footstool. Holy is God!*

Exalt Adonai, our God, and bow down at God’s holy mountain, for holy is Adonai our God.

And He, the Merciful One, atones iniquity and does not destroy; He frequently withdraws

anger and does not arouse all His rage. You, Adonai, withhold not Your mercy from me; may Your kindness and Your truth always protect me. Remember Your mercies Adonai and kindnesses, for they are from the beginning of the world. Give might to God, His pride (majesty) hovers over Israel, and His might is in the clouds. You are awesome, God, from Your Sanctuaries, Almighty of Israel—He grants might and power to the people; blessed is God. Almighty of vengeance, Adonai, Almighty of vengeance, reveal Yourself. Arise, Judge of the earth! Repay the arrogant their just reward. Deliverance is Adonai’s. Upon Your people is Your blessing. Selah. Adonai of Hosts is with us, a stronghold for us is the God of Jacob. Selah. Adonai of Hosts! Fortunate is the man who trusts in You. Adonai, deliver [us]. The King will answer us on the day we call.

Deliver Your people and bless Your inheritance, tend them and uplift them forever. Our soul yearned for Adonai, our help and our shield is He. For in Him our hearts will rejoice, for in His holy Name we trusted. May Your kindness, Adonai, be upon us, as we have waited for You. Show us Your kindness, Adonai, and grant us Your deliverance. Arise—come to our aid, and redeem us for the sake of Your kindness. I am Adonai, Your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Fortunate is the people whose lot is thus, fortunate is the people for whom Adonai is their God. In Your loving kindness I trust, My heart will exult in Your deliverance; I will sing to Adonai, for He dealt kindly with me.

*(Note that God’s footstool is understood to mean the Temple)

As always, if you have a question about any of this, call, text, or email me.

Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay

IRA'S D'VAR TORAH LAST WEEK

D’var Torah for Behalotecha “Jewish Complaining” 

CLICK HERE TO READ

Correction to last week's edition. Sheila's email address is shushi22@aol.com for any comments on her article "Friends"

Candle Lighting time

Friday evening

June 16, 2023

8:08 pm

(So. Ocean County)

SHABBAT DINNNER

6:00 PM

Sha'BBQ

JOIN US FOR

SERVICES

Friday Night

June 16, 2023

Services

7:30 PM

IN PERSON AND

ON ZOOM

Cantor Geller will be joining us for Shabbat evening services.

Here is 

your invitation from 

Rabbi Jay to join

Zoom services

FRIDAY NIGHT

Saturday Morning

June 17, 2023

9:00 AM

Services

IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM

Here is

your invitation from 

Rabbi Jay to join

Zoom services

SHABBAT MORNING

Shabbat Mevarchim Chodesh Tamuz

TORAH READING

Here is the Reading

Parashat Sh’lach

Numbers 13:1-15:41

Here is the Parshah

PARSHAH



Shelach (“Send”) tells the story of Israelite spies journeying into Canaan, the negative report they bring back, and the resulting punishment decreed upon the Israelites: to wander and die in the desert over forty years. It ends with laws about sacrifices, the story of a man who desecrates Shabbat, and the commandment to wear ritual fringes.

HAFTORAH

Joshua 2:1-24

Here is the Haftorah

HAFTORAH

HAVDALLAH

Saturday evening

8:45 PM

Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to

join Zoom services:

HAVDALLAH

Sunday - Thursday

Ma'ariv Service

7:30 PM

Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to

join Zoom services:

MA'ARIV

Monday- Friday

Shacharit Service

8:15 AM

Sunday at 9:00 AM

Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to

join Zoom services:

SHACHARIT

June 16

Shabbat Dinner

June 21

WAX Book Discussion

June 22

WAX Maritime Museum Visit

June 23

Shabbat on the Beach

(Spray Beach)

June 25

Welcome Back Brunch

June 27

WAX Brunch

June 29

JCC George Markey Concert

June 30

Shabbat on the Beach (Loveladies)

July 7

Shabbat on the Beach

(Spray Beach)

July 9

Interview with Susan Shapiro

July 11, 18. 26

Dance Fitness Class

July 12

Bazzar

July 14

Shabbat on the Beach (Loveladies)

July 19

WAX Book Discussion

July 21

Shabbat Dinner

July 23

Simon Mandel Concert

July 25

WAX Brunch at Wally's

July 28

Shabbat on the Beach

(Spray Beach)

The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:

Meyer Dobrow

Patricia Husak

Helen Muscente

Charlotte Rosenberg

Howard Seidler

George Wolpert

Harold Berson

Chester Goldberg

Harry Kirschner

Minnie Lipsitz

Adele Swissman

Betty Sampson

Malcom Zlotkin*

Albert Alexander*

Benjamin Einhorn*

Dr. H. Robert Freed*

Lillain Goodman

Lori-Ann Keating

Milka Meshulam

George Cofsky

William Ginsburg

Jesse Halpern

Elayne Leventhal

Rose Lichtenstein

Rose Sherwin

Joseph Dicicco Sr.

Albert Jaffe*

Isadore Shrensel*

We encourage you to join us on the day of your loved one’s yahrzeit. In the morning, the service is about ½ hour beginning at 8:15 and in the evening at 7:30 until about 7:45. Rabbi will be glad to say the traditional El Malei Rachamim prayer for you, which is recited during the funeral, going up to the grave of the departed, Yizkor remembrance day and other occasions on which the memory of the dead is recalled. You are also welcome to share with the minyan some special memories of your loved one.

Susan Naidoff

June 18

David J. Levy

June 19

Howard Meltzer

June 19

David Pashman

June 21

Karlene Turtz

June 22 

Ian Zimmerman & Stacey Wasserman

June 17

6^th Anniversary

Renison & Marcia Gonsalves

June 18

45^th Anniversary

Mel & Sybil Kleinfeld

June 19

63^rd Anniversary

Jeffrey & Karen Buchalter

June 21

31^st Anniversary

Herbert & Deanna Feinberg

June 21

64^th Anniversary

Frederic & Arlene Schragger

June 22

58^th Anniversary

Warren & Marlene Matz

June 23

55^th Anniversary

James & Bonnie Shrager

June 23

60^th Anniversary

SUE & BEN MARGULIES

Anniversary