Tuesday, April 10, 2018 - 8:30 p.m. MEN'S SHIUR - "Dina D'Malchuta Dina" with Rabbi Matanky at the home of Howard & Ilana Karesh 2950 W. Sherwin
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 – 7:45pm YOM HASHOAH PROGRAM with Mrs. Naomi Jacobson
Shabbat, April 14, 2018 RZA "Seventy for Seventy" Scholar in Residence Dr. Dodi Fishman Tobin click here for more information
Sunday, April 15, 2018 KINS for KIDS Pre-Yom HaAtzmaut Program
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 – 6:30p Bnei Akiva YOM HAATZMAUT CELEBRATION Click here to sign up
Shabbat, April 27, 2018 Scholar in Residence Rabbi Meir Goldwicht Rosh Yeshiva, YU/REITS
Sunday, April 29, 2018 – 9:30am DRIVING WEST ROGERS PARK - Chicago's Once and Future Jewish Neighborhood Join us for a 25-minute film chronicling the "Golden Age" of the 1950s and '60s, a growing Orthodox community, and efforts to preserve the neighborhood for future generations. A panel featuring Dr. Howard Rieger, president, Jewish Community Council of WRP, and Dr. Steven Nasatir, president, JUF/JFMC will follow screening. The event is FREE, but reservations are requested. Contact jccwrp@gowrp.org
HALACHA OF THE WEEK: CHOL HAMOED IN HALACHA According to the Talmud, during Chol HaMoed, the general rule is that “melacha” [lit. work]. And while there remains a dispute as to whether or not this prohibition is Biblical or rabbinic [Talmud Chagiga 18a and Moed Katan 29a; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 530:1], all authorities agree that work that is prohibited on the festivals is also prohibited on the intermediate days unless one of five following exemptions are present:
1. Work, if not done, will lead to a significant loss. (The precise definition of loss varies from society to society and person to person [Mishna Berura 544:6].) For example, Rabbi Avraham Shapiro, ztz”l, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel permitted a person to write divrei Torah on Chol HaMoed, even though writing is generally forbidden. The reason he permitted it was because if the divrei Torah were not written they could be forgotten, and he explained that there is no greater loss than that!
2. Work done to produce food for the sake of either the intermediate days or the holidays (including lighting fires, harvesting plants or turning on lights).
3. Work where the action is of benefit to many people.
4. Work done by a non-professional for the sake of the holiday. Therefore, one may turn on a light during Chol HaMoed to read or turn on the radio to listen to recreational music for pleasure [Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chayim 545:1].
5. Work done by a poor person to earn money to buy food or other necessities. (It is preferable to do such work, rather than accept charity [Pri Megadim, Orech Chayim, Eshel Avraham 542]) It is preferable that such work be done in a private, rather than public.
Obviously, what is prohibited and what is permitted depends on motives, intent and ease of activity — and in this sense the concept of prohibited work on Chol HaMoed differs from the notion of prohibited work on Shabbat and Yom Tov. However, what is important to remember is that Chol HaMoed, is a Moed [lit. holiday] and as such deserves, as much as possible, some modifications to our regular weekday routine.
DVAR TORAH Because the seventh day of Pesach is the anniversary of the splitting and the crossing of the Red Sea (see Rashi Shemot 14:5) our Torah reading focuses on that day, that miracle and the song of praise - the "Shirat HaYam" - sung by the Jews.
This song is not only an exceptional expression of gratitude, but also the source of an important halacha - the goal of performing all of our mitzvot with beauty. Explains the Gemara (Shabbat 133b), that the words “This is my G-d and I will glorify Him" (Shemot 15:2) - teach us that we must beautify ourselves before G-d though our aesthetically pleasing performance of mitzvot: Acquire a beautiful etrog, make before me a beautiful Sukkah, a beautiful sefer Torah, beautiful tefillin, and so forth.”
Which also extends to the holiday of Pesach. For example, the Chatam Sofer used to make sure that special silver utensils were used at his seder, and in the city of Izmir there was a custom to decorate the table with wreaths and fresh flowers.
But why did the Torah choose to teach us this lesson of "hiddur mitzvah" specifically in the words of the "Shirat HaYam"?
Rabbi Zvi Cheshin, one of the Roshei Yeshiva at Mir Yerushalayim explained that the Mishna (Pirkei Avot 5:4) teaches that there were ten miracles which occurred at the splitting of the sea, while Yalkut Me'am Loez identifies 50 such miracles!
Why were all these miracles necessary? Wouldn't it have been enough to "simply" split the sea and let the Jews cross? Why did G-d add all these miracles to the basic miracle?
The answer, said Rabbi Cheshin, was to show His love for the Jewish people. Because when G-d performed a miracle for His new nation, He wanted to do it in the magnificent way possible - He did a "hiddur mitzvah."
Which is the reason that this "song" is the source of this special mitzvah. Because just as G-d di for us, we want to do for Him. The splitting of the sea showed us how much G-d loved us. "Hiddur mitzvah" – the beautiful tefillin, the beautiful etrog, and the beautiful seder – all show G-d how much we love Him!
CONDOLENCES * to Neil Harris on the passing of his mother, Mrs. Elaine Harris.
REFUAH SHLAIMA * to Mark Cohen who is hospitalized at Lutheran General Hospital. * to Yosef Shapiro who is hospitalized at Children's Hospital of Milwaukee.
CLASSES @ KINS All Shiurim will resume on Monday 4/9 – Please Note: New time for Maariv 8:45pm
FRIDAY 7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg
SHABBAT 8:30am – Parshat Hashavua with Rabbi Myers 3:00pm – Parshat Hashavua with Wisdom of Torah Institute 45 min. before Mincha – Mesechet Ketubot with Rabbi Matanky
SUNDAY 6:30am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 9:00am– Sefer Shoftim with Rabbi Matanky 9:00am – Contemporary Halacha with Rabbi Lerner 8:00-10:00pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
MONDAY 7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 2:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with Rabbi Lerner 8:00pm – Halacha Then & Now with Rabbi Yehuda Meyers 9:00pm – How to think like a Brisker with Rabbis Sprung & Kraft 8:00-10:00pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
TUESDAY 7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 2:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with Rabbi Lerner 8:00-10:00pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
WEDNESDAY 7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 2:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with Rabbi Rosenbaum 9:00pm – Parsha Chabura with Rabbi Bar-Kochva 9:00pm – Hilchot Shabbat with Rabbi Stromer 8:00-10:00pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
THURSDAY 7:15am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 2:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with Rabbi Rosenbaum 9:00pm – From the Dayan’s Desk with Rabbi Reiss 8:00-10:00pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
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
