What's the Spiel?
15 Cheshvan 5785 - November 16, 2024
Parshat Chayei Sarah
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-Testing Character: Unconditional Kindness- | |
Parshat Chayei Sarah teaches us about the quest to find a wife for Yitzchak and the extraordinary journey Avraham’s servant, Eliezer, takes in order to accomplish this mission. In order to discern the right woman for his master’s son, Eliezer asks God the following: “Please cause to happen to me today, and perform loving kindness with my master, Avraham…And it will be that the maiden to whom I will say, ‘Lower your pitcher and I will drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels,’ her have You designated for Your servant, for Yitzchak, and through her may I know that You have performed loving kindness with my master” (Bereshit 24:12, 14). Sure enough, Rivkeh appears, prompting Eliezer to say, “Please, let me sip a little water from your pitcher” (Ibid., 24:17). Why did Eliezer say this?
To help explain what Eliezer was really up to, I’d like to turn to the words of Rav Soloveitchik, who writes: “Eliezer wanted to ascertain the motivation behind Rivkeh’s actions. Was it spiritual nobility and kindness, or good manners and civility? His requests were deliberately outrageous: Let me sip a little water from your pitcher, as opposed to asking her to hand him the pitcher. In other words, he told her that she was to draw water from the well and pour it into his mouth. Isn’t this distasteful and tactless? Had she merely been polite instead of being a true exemplar of chesed, she would have splashed the water in his face. Why did he ask a young girl to water the camels, something women did not do in antiquity? Couldn’t one of his servants have taken the pitcher down to the well, brought up water, and take care of the animals? Eliezer was testing her patience. She did not feel hurt; she was not repulsed by the newcomer’s primitive bluntness and lack of good manners. She practiced hospitality even though the traveler was coarse and rude. The quality of erech appayim prevailed, and Rivkeh became the mother of the nation” (Chumash Mesoret HaRav, Parshat Chayei Sarah, pp 170-171).
Eliezer wanted to determine Rivkeh’s true character. Performing an act of kindness may be a simple thing when one feels appreciated and respected. However, when one feels “put out” or “turned off” because their kindness is unrequited or their efforts are not valued, it becomes much more difficult to show magnanimity. Thus, Eliezer intentionally made outlandish requests, brazenly and directly, because he wanted to see if despite his coarseness, Rivkeh would bear his presence, fulfill his requests, and do so with kindness and compassion. Rivkeh happily did all that Eliezer asked, and in so doing, he understood that this was exactly the kind of person Yitzchak needed to be with, and the Jewish people would need to emulate.
The kindness of Rivkeh is the kindness of selfless giving, unconditional compassion and limitless patience. Eliezer pinpointed these qualities as the most essential for the second matriarch of the Jewish people, and therefore, they are essential qualities for every Jew to learn from and live by. This Shabbat, may we follow the example of chesed set for us by Rivkeh Immeinu, and in so doing, may we continue to build a community of chesed, selfless giving, love and compassion.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Rabbi Dan
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Schedule of Services at B'nai Abraham | |
Friday, November 22
Candle Lighting – 5:13PM
Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat - 5:10PM
Saturday, November 23
Shacharit – 9:00AM
Kid's Service – 10:30AM
Mincha – 5:10PM
Maariv/Havdallah – 6:10PM
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Sunday, November 24
Shacharit - 8:30AM
Monday - Wednesday
Shacharit - 7:05AM
*Thursday and Friday*
Shacharit - 8:30AM
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CTI extends deepest condolences to Jay Rubin on the loss of his beloved wife, Carol Rubin, Shulke Malkah bat Binyamin HaKohen v'Tzipporah. May her memory be for a blessing. | |
Don't miss out on our only Scholar in Residence Program of 2024, this week, featuring Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman! The Shabbaton includes four different talks over Shabbat. Click here to get all the details. | |
Tell America's Leaders to Stand with Israel!
Anti-Israel activists are calling members of Congress. Make your pro-Israel voice heard by calling your elected officials to make clear you stand with our ally Israel against Hamas terrorism!
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Thank you Louis Stone for sponsoring Kiddush in loving memory of his father, Howard Stone, zl | |
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Kiddish sponsorship is a great way to honor a loved one's memory or celebrate a special occasion while also giving a little back to the community. Please note that we are now reserving sponsorships for 2025! There are no available sponsorships left for this year. THANK YOU to all our generous sponsors. Look for an extensive list of donors to be published at the beginning of next year thanking all those who have contributed to a kiddush sponsorship during 2024.
Kiddush sponsorships get reserved many weeks in advance. If you have a special day you would like to commemorate with a kiddush, It’s a great idea to reserve your special day EARLY, while it is still available. If your date is not visible yet on the kiddush calendar, you can still email Beth and ask about reserving that date.
Thank you so much for your support of CTI’s kiddush program!
| | THANK YOU for supporting CTI and our community with your sponsorship! | |
Mazel Tov!
- Samson Glassman, Birthday on November 25
- Ari Hoffman, Birthday on November 25
- Rosemary Klein-Robbins, Birthday on November 25
- Gloria Wallner, Birthday on November 25
- Larry Smith, Birthday on November 26
- Daniel Ledeen, Birthday on November 27
- Barb Altman, Birthday on November 28
- Henna E Tatham, Birthday on November 28
*Please update your shulcloud account with birthdays, anniversaries, and Yahrtzeits to make sure they're highlighted in the Spiel. If you have any questions on how to do so email admin@tiferetaustin.org*
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Yahrtzeit Remembrances
- Elsie Stone, Grandmother of Louis Stone, on Saturday 22 Cheshvan
- Howard Stone, Father of Louis Stone, on Sunday 23 Cheshvan
- Alex Sole, Father of Diane Radin, on Sunday 23 Cheshvan
*Please update your shulcloud account with birthdays, anniversaries, and Yahrtzeits to make sure they're highlighted in the Spiel. If you have any questions on how to do so email admin@tiferetaustin.org*
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Take Your Tanakh Series
Tuesday Night | 7:00pm - The Book of Isaiah
Wednesday Morning | 8:15am - The Song of Songs
Click Here for more information on how to join these exciting classes.
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Thank you to Isaac Reitberger and David Chapin for their aliyah donations.
Thank you to the following for their donations in memory
of Carol Ann Rubin z"l:
- General Fund: David & Rita Chapin, Eric & Beth Shapiro, Daniel Septimus, Patti & Mitch Davis, Cara Kelly, Ann Pava, Beth Steinberg & Sam Glassman, Ken & Sharon Herman, Ronit Sherwin & Rabbi David Komerofsky, Gordon Chan, Steve & Elaine Edelstein, Gayle Cannon, Shelly Shwartz, Lynn and Jeff Kane, Karen Moss, Gary & Karin Gerstenhaber, The Franklin Family, Sravanthi Anumalla, Solomon & Devorah Sultan, Denise Shade & Phil Spertus
- Chesed Fund: Resse Carroll & Sherry Fishman-Carroll, Mark Salmanson, Tova & Barry Effron, Nora Lieberman, Sandy Bernstein, Diane & Charles Radin
- Youth Educator Fund: Sherrie & Bob Frachtman, Ron & Diane Dusek, Marilyn Feldman, Michele & Isaac Reitberger, Esther & Gary Polland
- Tendler Fund: Carol & Sandy Dochen
- Chevra Kadisha Fund: Barb & Arthur Altman
Thank you to David & Rita Chapin and to Isaac & Michelle Reitberger for their donations in memory of Jake Wolfson's father, z"l.
Thank you to Isaac & Michelle Reitberger for their yizkor and yarzheit donations.
Thank you to Beth Steinberg & Sam Glassman and to Eileen & David Hillson for their donations for the Scholar in Residence Program.
Thank you to Ben Heyen for his donation to the General Fund.
Thank you to our anonymous donors.
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- 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, HaRav 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
- Moshe ben Reizel
- Avigail Malkah bat Devorah
- David Moshe ben Sylvia
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- 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)
- Fivel ben Sarah HaLevi
- Adam ben Chanah
- Rafael ben Sheindal Leah
- Aharon Asher ben Chaya Naomi
- Esther Malka Fraida bat Serel Chaya Raiza
- Esther Reva bat Malka
- Avraham ben Rut
- Sheva Eva bat Bella.
- Moshe ben Rut
- Shulkah Malka bat Tziporah
- Chandal bat Basia
- Shmuel Dovid bat Malka
- Anthony Ben Devorah
- Shayna Leah bat Yehudit
- Reuven ben Shira
- Batyah bat Sara
- Rachel Tzivia bat Malka
- Chava Golda bat Leah
- David Yosef ben Aga
- Layla Tzohara bat Naomi Rivkeh
- Shimon Yaakov ben Sarah
- Shalom Ephraim ben Esther Breindel
- Eli Moshe ben Yehudit Leah
- Nechama bat Yehudit
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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
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