Motzaei Shabbat, October 26, 2019 – 8:15pm New and Prospective Member MELAVEH MALKAH at Rabbi & Mrs. Matanky’s home For more information, call the shul office
Motzaei Shabbat, Nov. 9, 2019 - 8-10pm KINS Misterhood Event HUMAN FOOSBALL @ Hillel Torah Gym click here to sign-up
HALACHA OF THE WEEK: HOSHANA RABBA In the days of the Beit HaMikdash, every day of Sukkot long willow branches (11 amot in length) were brought from the city of Motza and placed around the altar. A shofar was sounded, and the Kohanim would march around the altar reciting "ana Hashem hoshia na, ana Hashem hatzlicha na." [Sukkah 45a].
On the seventh day of Sukkot, the procession not encircled the altar seven times [Sukkah, ibid.], but they also performed "chibbut arava" - beating the willow on the ground or a vessel [Rambam Lulav 7:20-21]. (According to Rashi, they did not beat the willows but waved them like the way we shake our lulavim.)
Following the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, "chibbut of arava" was preserved as a "minhag Nevi'im" - a custom of the prophets and observed only on the seventh day - a day which became to be known as Hoshana Rabba [Shulchan Aruch 664:2].
While some maintain that one can fulfill this custom by carrying a lulav and etrog around the bima as we do on the other days of Sukkot [Rosh 4:1], the common custom is to take a separate bundle of aravot [Mishna Berura 64 note 21]. Ideally, there should be five branches in this bundle, and they should be "tied" [ibid note 17].
After encircling the bima, we beat the willow branches several times on the ground or a vessel. According to the Shulchan Aruch, we do this two or three times [Shulchan Aruch 664:4]. While the Arizal did this five times [Mishna Berura 764 note 19], and the Pri Megadim [Eshel Avraham note 6] ruled that we beat the willow branches until some of the leaves fall off.
Also, the Shulchan Aruch suggests shaking the willow branches before beating it - to also fulfill the opinion of Rashi [Shulchan Aruch Orech Chaim 764:4]. However, the Aruch HaShulchan notes that this is not the custom. Nevertheless, he does rule that we should shake them "a bit" [Aruch HaShulchan Orech Chaim 664:2,7].
Following the "chibbut arava," the willow branches should not be disposed of in a conventional way. Therefore, some have the custom to save them to burn at the time of biur chametz [Shulchan Aruch ibid, 9] storing them above the Aron HaKodesh while others do not place them there but take them home as a segulah [Nitei Gavriel 79:6].
DVAR TORAH Simchat Torah is not only the holiday on which we celebrate the completion of yet another cycle of Torah, but also begin reading the Torah anew. Why do we immediately begin the Torah again?
On April 1, 1973, Rabbi Soloveitchik was recorded making impromptu remarks at a siyum in which he expressed how deep a Jew’s love is for the study of Torah. Rabbi Soloveitchik noted that every morning, we recite the blessing: “Blessed art thou… who has commanded us with His commandments to be involved [“La’asok,”] in the words of Torah. Tosafot asked - why Jews make this blessing only once in the morning and not each time they study Torah. They answered because learning Torah is a never-present.
Explained Rabbi Soloveitchik, that people possess two types of awareness. There is, what he referred to as “acute” awareness and “latent” awareness. When a mother plays with her child, she experiences acute awareness. But there is also a natural latent awareness that a mother has for her child’s existence – because, in a mother’s relationship with her child, there is no such thing as “out-of-sight, out-of-mind.”
So, said Rabbi Soloveitchik is the relationship that we have with Torah. A Jew is always aware of the Torah, even if not engaged at that moment in its study. It is for this reason that at a siyum, we say, “Hadran Alach,” - we shall return to you, we will never abandon you.
Which is the reason that on Simchat Torah, as soon as we complete the cycle of reading the Torah, we begin again - because Jews cannot survive without affirming our continuous commitment to Torah. The Torah is always present in our latent consciousness.
DONATIONS TO THE KIDDUSH FUND were made by * Sandy and Art Aberman in honor of son Shelly’s special birthday. * Hillel and Rachel Morris with Hakarat Hatov to Congregation KINS and in honor of their move to a new home. * Moshe and Shoshie Kahn in honor of the birth of a granddaughter. * Moshe and Shoshie Kahn in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of Shoshie’s father, Jack Reiss z”l. * Dr. Harvey and Diane Abramowitz in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of Diane’s mother, Frances Rose Frank z”l. * Rabbi Yechiel and Davina Bresler in commemoration of the yahrzeit of his sister, Meira Mindel Bat Moshe.
MAZAL TOV * to Abbi and Rachel Kahn on the birth of a daughter. Mazal Tov to grandparents Moshe and Shoshie Kahn and Michael and Sara Zelefsky, and to great-grandparents, Lothar and Sue Kahn and Esther Reiss. * to Sam Kahan on winning the prestigious Lawrence R. Klein Blue Chip Forecasting Award.
REFUAH SHLAIMA * to Shifra Yehudis Orlian * to Leora Heifitz who is recuperating at home. * to Mrs. Bonnie Myers who is recuperating at home.
Resuming after Sukkot -Every Tuesday evening K.I.N.S. is proud to host a kosher soup kitchen for the less fortunate. To volunteer,click here. To help fund the Soup Kitchen,click here
CLASSES @ KINS Night Seder and Classes with YU Torah MiTzion will resume after Sukkot
FRIDAY 7:05am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg SHABBAT 8:30am - Parshat HaShavua with Rabbi Myers - will resume after Sukkot 5:00pm - Parshat HaShavua with Wisdom of Torah Institute - will resume after Sukkot 45 min. before mincha - Talmud Class with Rabbi Matanky
SUNDAY 6:30am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 9:00am – Sefer Shmuel Bet with Rabbi Matanky - will resume after Sukkot 9:00am - Halacha with Rabbi Bresler - will resume after Sukkot WEDNESDAY 7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 2:00pm – Chumash Shiur with Rabbi Bresler 8:00pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
THURSDAY 7:15am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg 8:00pm – 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
