DVAR TORAH At the beginning of our parasha, the Torah tells the story of Yaakov's dream of a ladder that extended from the earth to heaven, and on that ladder were angels climbing up and down. According to the Talmud [Chulin 91] the reason the angels were going up and down was to compare the image of Yaakov that was found beneath the G-d's throne with the real-life Yaakov on the earth.
HaRav Yosef D. Soloveitchik explained that the angels were amazed at the similarity of the images - that the earthly Yaakov looked exactly like the heavenly image of Yaakov. Which meant that Yaakov had fully achieved his potential since the heavenly image was of his potential. This was so unusual that it stirred the of the angels who came to inspect this amazing man for themselves.
Added the Rav that when G-d creates anyone, he gives them certain gifts and talents and has in His mind how a person should use them. That is our heavenly image, and we must strive throughout our lives to try have the two images match. But the Rav added that angels are not the only ones who compare the images in the heavens with what is here on earth. People do this as well. Because wherever religious Jews go, people are comparing them with what they intuitively know to be the image of a religious Jew up in Heaven.
This, said the Rav is the great challenge of Jewish life. To live lives in which we fulfil our potential while preserving the Heavenly image we were all grant by G-d.
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HALACHA OF THE WEEK: Thanksgiving in Halacha While Thanksgiving is an American holiday and seemingly devoid of religious connotation, there has been much debate in halachic literature whether or not Thanksgiving is purely secular and if its observance by Jews may be prohibited as the adoption of non-Jewish custom.
Three major halachic authorities of the 20th century have taken positions on this matter: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner.
Rabbi Feinstein actually published four responsa on issues related to Thanksgiving - all of which conclude that Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday, but a secular one: "...since it is clear that according to their religious law books this day is not mentioned as a religious holiday and one is not obligated in a meal; and since this is a day of remembrance to citizens of this country, when they came to reside here either now or earlier, halacha sees no prohibition in celebrating with a meal or with the eating of turkey. Similarly, in Kiddushin 66 Yanai the king threw a party after the conquest of kochlet in the desert and they ate vegetables as a remembrance." [Igrot Moshe, Yoreh Deah 4:11(4)]
Rabbi Soloveitchik also agreed that Thanksgiving was not a Gentile holiday and ruled that it was permissible to celebrate it with a meal of Turkey and "all of the trimmings." As Rabbi Hershel Schachter, recorded in his book Nefesh HaRav: "It was the opinion of Rabbi Soloveitchik that it was permissible to eat turkey at the end of November, on the day of Thanksgiving... and that eating it on Thanksgiving was not a problem of imitating gentile customs. We also heard that this was the opinion of his father, Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik."
However, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner completely disagreed with his contemporaries and stated that it was obvious that - the establishment of an annual holiday based on the Christian calendar was, at the very least, closely associated with non-Jewish worship and therefore prohibited. "In truth, one must distance oneself from these types of customs and even from those events that are similar to these types of customs . . . The truth is simple and obvious." [Pachad Yitzchak - Iggerot, 5751, 109]
So what is the halacha?
Obviously, there is a difference of opinion. However, what is clear is that no one ever required the observance of Thanksgiving by the Jewish community. On the other hand, Rabbi Soloveitchik, not only permitted its observance, but he would even convene class earlier on that day to allow his students to return home for its celebration.
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MAZAL TOV * to Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak and Dr. Esther Shkop on the birth of a great grandson.
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BIRTHDAYS Devorah Kaufman (11/25) Meira Lebowitz (11/26) Mr. Zave Domsky (11/27) Rabbi Yehuda Isenberg (11/27) Sarah Clara Shiner (11/28) Uri Loterstein (11/29) Mrs. Bernice Novick (11/29)
ANNIVERSARIES Marc and Ruki Halpert (11/27) Benjamin and Shoshie Neikrug (11/27) Amiel and Channah Naiman (11/30)
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MONDAY NIGHT SEDER - 8:00-9:00pm Mondays
SEMICHAT CHAVER PROGRAM - 
SHABBAT WOMEN'S SHIUR - 3:00pm
TALMUD CLASS – 
SEFER YESHAYAHU - will resume 11/12