Classes 7:30am: Daf Yomiwith Eli Oberstein or dial-in audio at +1 646 558 8656; Meeting ID: 613 613 3702
Upcoming Events
Pushka Super (Bowl) Sunday Collection 9:15am - 10:30am
This Sunday February 8 We raised over $2,400 in loose change and small bills so far! Bring your tzedaka/pushka box to the Bayit. Hand off IN the front lobby. Your funds will be counted and added to the Purim Matanot L'Evyonim for distribution by our clergy team. This is a great way to jump into Adar (Rosh Chodesh: February 12 - 13) in a joyous mitzvah manner. Throughout February you can still arrange for a pushka pick up. Email pushka@thebayit.org and we'll write back to set a day and time for a safe, masked, socially distanced hand off. The Pushka Team: Nancy Stern Scholem and R' Moshe Edelman
Today's Way to Help If you would like to suggest a way to help please email yael@thebayit.org.
Special Election for City Council in District 11
Are You Registered to Vote in NYC? To participate in the NYC Primary and General Elections this year you must register to vote and select or update your party affiliation by February 14th! Register to vote or change your party affiliation at vote.nyc/page/register-vote We encourage all eligible voters to participate in the Special Election for City Council on March 23rd and the upcoming Primaries in June for Mayor and City Council!
Closing Message - Rav Steven View video version here.
When Yitro offers his son-in-law Moshe (in this past week's parashah) his wise advice about expanding the ranks of leadership and creating a broad, widely-distributed judicial system, he concludes by suggesting that if this system can be achieved, וְגַם֙ כׇּל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־מְקֹמ֖וֹ יָבֹ֥א בְשָׁלֽוֹם - "then the whole nation, too, can come to its place in peace."
The commentaries imagine this last line means (a) that people can go somewhere in their own areas to find peace - as they now have a local judicial option, or (b) that the people now have the infrastructure that will allow them to enter the Promised Land in peace.
R Hirsch offers a beautiful alternative. He notes that the preposition for the coming to one's place is not "el" (to), but rather "al" (upon), allowing for a reading of, "the entire nation, each in their place, can come to peace." They may not be physically moving as much as moving in mindset or in framing.
This, too, he says, is the work of judgment, to help everything fall into place as it should be - to find a secure and appropriate and just place for people and things.
In a week, in a time, in which we can't always go "to" somewhere to find peace, may we utilize our resources and help each other come "upon" peace right where we are.
And may we engage in and support systems of judgment and justice that ensure that everyone can come to the place they belong, and they are entitled to, blessed with fair treatment and the security we all deserve.
Reminder to all to take good care of ourselves and each other. Try to do something specific today that strengthens you, and something else that strengthens someone else.
Hebrew Institute of Riverdale - The Bayit 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway Bronx, NY 10463
