On Tuesday night, we opened registration for High Holiday seating. As everyone knows, this year is a unique challenge. We appreciate our lay leadership efforts to make things “work” and our membership in understanding that we need to accept the difficult choices necessary to maintain our safety.
If you have not yet signed up for seats, please do so as soon as possible. Seating this year is limited, and your flexibility in both place and time of davening is greatly appreciated.Click here for the link to the signup.
If you need assistance in the process, or if you have any questions, please call the office or email minyan@congkins.org.
Finally, in the coming days, we will also have a sign up for selichot night, September 12, 2020. This year we will be offering both an 11:00 pm early selichot and a mid-night 12:45 am selichot.
September 8, 2020 – 12 noon STEMM – The Anatomy of “Bad Middot": The Intersection of Psychology and Torah with RABBI DR. YEHUDA KROHN
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 - 12:00pm DAYTIME DIALOGUES with RABBI DR. JOSH JOSEPH CEO and Exec. VP, Orthodox Union (OU)click here for the webinar link
Click hereto sign up for the minyanim at Congregation K.I.N.S. For Updated Minyan Guidelines, click here
HALACHA OF THE WEEK: The Time for Selichot Beginning next motzaei Shabbat and through Yom Kippur, we will recite selichot. But what is the best time of day to say these prayers?
According to our mystical tradition, different times of the night have different characteristics. The first part of the night is characterized by "din" (strict judgment) while the second part is an "eit ratzon" (a time when requests are more readily accepted). Therefore, according to kabbalah it is during the second half of the night that is an ideal time to seek G-d’s mercy - and recite selichot.
Several classical sources [see: Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 581:1] suggest that the best time to recite selichot is actually towards the end of the secondhalf of the night - the "ashmoret haboker", the few hours leading up to "a lot hashachar" - around 72 minutes before sunrise. At this time, G-d is most “accessible” as He is hovering over our world [Magen Avraham 581:1 based on Avoda Zara 3b]. In addition, according to other sources "chatzot" [astronomical midnight] is a special "eit ratzon" [see: Yechave Daat 1:46].
Therefore, common practice is to recite selichot either at "chatzot" or in the pre-dawn hours. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein [Igrot Moshe, Orech Chaim 2:105] notes that when people were “early to bed and to rise, the latter was more convenient and common, whereas nowadays it is often easier at chatzot. Only on the first night of Selichot is there a preference to say selichot at chatzot, when more of Shabbat’s impact remains [see Piskei Teshuvot 581:(15)].
But what about saying selichot early, before mid-night?
According to the kaabalistic sources that equate this time with “din” it would be spiritually dangerous to recite selichot at that time [Magen Avraham 565:5; Birkei Yosef, Orech Chaim 581:1]. It is for this reason, that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef strongly objected to the early recitation of selichot - even when there was no alternative [Yechave Daat, ibid.], and it is the basis of the most common custom of waiting until late night.
However, Rabbi Yehoshua HaLevi Herschhorn of Montreal noted that many did not wait until later in the night and did recite selichot earlier – specifically when davening with a community. His reasoning was, that whenever a community joins together, it is an “eit ratzon” [Mimaynei Hayeshua 23]. Even Rabbi Feinstein while supporting the general custom of late night selichot, does not put a strong emphasis on kabbalistic sources in making halachic decisions. Therefore, he ruled [Igrot Moshe, ibid.] that even though much positive effect is missing at selichot in the early night, it is better to recite them then, lacking a feasible alternative, than to deprive the congregation of their inspiration in preparing for the yamim noraim. If one does so, he suggested reciting selichot at a change of "ashmorot", which is approximately 2 hours before "chatzot"[See also Mishmeret Shalom – Koidanov Siman 41].
Finally, there were even some authorities [Chesed Yehoshua 3:12, Machashavot b’Eitza - Parparot b’Chochma 74b] who suggested that early night in America may be permitted because it is after chatzot in Israel. However, Rabbi Yosef rules that most authorities relate "din" and "eit ratzon" to each place according to its astronomical situation [Yechave Daat ibid.].
A common "compromise" approach is to say the selichot in the morning (or even before Mincha- [ibid.]) While it is not especially an "eit ratzon", it is not a time of "din" either and the time of the year is itself an "eit ratzon".
DVAR TORAH Our parasha opens with the mitzvah of bringing first fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple, a mitzvah that takes effect "when you enter the Land that G-d, your G-d, gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it, and dwell in it."
Explained Rashi: "This tells us that the Jewish people were not under the obligation to bring first fruits until they had conquered the land and divided it." However, the halachic midrash, the Sifra, makes a seemingly contradictory statement: "Do this mitzvah so that through its merit you will enter the Land of Israel."
So which is it - do we need to perform this mitzvah before or after we enter the land?
HaRav Shalom Massas z"l the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim wrote that there is no contradiction. Rashi is correct that the laws of bikkurim did not actually take effect until the Land of Israel was conquered. However, the attitude this mitzvah teaches - that everything we have is a gift from G-d - was a prerequisite to conquering the Land!
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MAZAL TOV * to Joel and Jenny Jacobson on the upcoming marriage of their son Rafi to Ariella Green of Toronto. Mazal tov to grandmothers, Mrs. Naomi Jacobson and Mrs. Barbara Klein. * to Mr. Marshall Meyers and Mrs. Esther Meyers on the birth of a grandson. The proud parents and Mr. and Mrs. Nachum Meyers. * to Dudi and Shira Berkowitz on the engagement of their daughter Chavie to Ari Tversky.
REFUAH SHLAIMA * to Etai Rimel who is recovering from surgery * to Shifra Yehudis Orlian who is recuperating at home * to Shulmais Ashkenazy who is recuperating from surgery.
CLASSES @ KINS During the COVID-19 crisis, all of our shiurim will be online and can be accessed live at https://zoom.us/j/8618119980 or at https://www.congkins.org/video-shiurim.html A Donation to the Virtual Learning Fund was made by * Vivienne Sklar in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of her mother Ethel Kelman z”l. * Devora and Alan Sorscher in commemoration of the 7th yahrtzeit of Devora’s father Rabbi Victor Zwelling z”l.
TO SPONSOR A SHIUR - CLICK HERE DAILY & WEEKLY SHIURIM DAF YOMI – LIVE Mon.-Friday @ 7:30am; Sunday - TBA
3 MINUTE HALACHA – RECORDED Sunday-Friday
STEMMand TORAH - Tuesdays, 12 noon - NEW SHIUR
DAYTIME DIALOGUES: Wednesdays, 12 noon
NINE MEASURES of BEAUTY - Wed. 8:00pm
SEFER MELACHIM – LIVE Sunday @ 9:00am
BIRTHDAYS Rabbi Larry Feder (9/5) Mr. Alan Gershman (9/5) Libbie Amster (9/8) Mrs. Rami Meer (9/8) Yael Appel (9/9) Dr. Michael Chastkofsky (9/9) Mrs. Stephanie Engelson (9/10) Mrs. Ruki Halpert (9/11)
ANNIVERSARIES Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Gertz (9/5) Mr. and Mrs. Edward Stopek (9/9)
Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park 2800 W. North Shore Ave • Chicago, IL 60645 P 773.761.4000 • F 773.761.4959 • www.congkins.org
DAF YOMI – LIVE Mon.-Friday @ 7:30am; Sunday - TBA
3 MINUTE HALACHA – RECORDED Sunday-Friday
DAYTIME DIALOGUES
NINE MEASURES of BEAUTY - Wed. 8:00pm
SEFER MELACHIM – LIVE Sunday @ 9:00am