On the first day of Rosh Hashana there is a custom to go to a body of water (preferably one which has fish [Magen Avraham 583:5]) and recite various pesukim [Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chaim 583:2; Mishna Berura ibid., note 8].
Among the reasons offered for this custom is that when Abraham went to sacrifice his son he passed through water that reached all the way up to his neck - and yet, he never hesitated, continuing on his way to fulfill the word of G-d. To remember that great deed of faith, we go near a body of water and recite verses which express our belief in G-d [Mishna Berura ibid.].
While there is a custom that when reciting Tashlich we empty our pockets of any crumbs that may have fallen inside - symbolic of our desire to remove all our sins [Mateh Ephraim 598:4] - there is no basis for the custom to throw things (crumbs or other objects) into the water. In fact, in most cases, those things which may be thrown (rocks or crumbs) are "muktzeh" and therefore forbidden to be handled on yomtov.
According to the Ari, it is preferable to perform Tashlich after Mincha. However, if there is not enough time between mincha and sunset, Tashlich can be performed earlier in the day [Mateh Efraim 598:7 and Elef l'Mateh ibid.]. If a person was unable to recite Tashlich on the first day of Rosh Hashana, Tashlich should be recited on the second day. If for some reason a person was unable to recite Tashlich on either day of Rosh Hashana, it can be recited on any day up until Yom Kippur [Mateh Ephraim ibid., note 6]. However, in such a case, it may be preferable to recite Tashlich on the day before erev Yom Kippur when we recite the selichot of the "Yud-Gimmel Middot" [Likutei MaHaRICH, Shaar Yisachar, Maamar Shuva Yisrael 22].
MAZAL TOV
* to Larry and Naomi Yablong on the birth of their granddaughter, Chana Pearl. The proud parents are Michal and Chuck Boyars.
REFUAH SHLAIMA
* to Miryam Harris who is recuperating at home.
* to Rabbi Jack Shapiro who is convalescing at home.
And this winter.... K.I.N.S. will be honored to host
February 23-24, 2018
Scholar in Residence
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth
CLASSES @ KINS
SHABBAT
8:30am - Parshat HaShavua with Rabbi Myers
5:00pm - Parshat HaShavua with Wisdom of Torah Institute
NEW TIME 1 hour before mincha - Family Learning Program
45 minutes before Mincha – Talmud Class (Mesechet Ketubot) with Rabbi Matanky
SUNDAY
6:30am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg
9:00am– Sefer Yehoshua with Rabbi Matanky
9:00am - Contemporary Halacha with Rabbi Lerner
8:00-9:45pm – 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
8:00-9:45pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
TUESDAY
7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg
8:00-9:45pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
WEDNESDAY
7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg
2:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with R' Rosenbaum
8:00-9:45pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
THURSDAY
7:15am - Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg
2:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with R' Rosenbaum
8:00-9:45pm – Night Seder with YU Torah MiTzion Kollel
FRIDAY
7:05am – Daf Yomi with Yoel Goldberg
DVAR TORAH
This week's double parsha begins with a soaring image of untiy and closeness to G-d, but also include Moshe’s final admonition to the Jewish people where he reminds them to avoid worshipping idols.
Said Moshe to the people "…Lest there be among you a man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turns away this day from the L-rd our G-d to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood… saying ‘I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart… The L-rd will not be willing to pardon him, but then the anger of the L-rd and His jealousy shall be kindled against that man and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie upon him and the L-rd shall blot out his name from under heaven…” [Devarim 29:15-19].
Dr. Abraham Twerski asks a fascinating question - if Moshe described both the disgusting nature of idolatry and the terrible punishment that awaits those who worship it, why was it necessary to spend so much time and verbiage warning the Jewish people against it? Why would they even be tempted by it?
The answer he explained can be found in a fascinating research study that followed a two-hour TV documentary on the evils of cocaine addiction. In that TV show it explained how cocaine is such a powerful addictive substance and if a person gets entrapped in a cocaine addiction it will literally destroy his life, as he is willing to do anything just to get his next "fix."
Amazingly, researchers discovered that the teenagers and young adults who watched this program were more likely to try cocaine more than those who did not see this show!
But how can that be? How can two hours of scientific evidence and graphic images showing the dangers of cocaine lead to people using it?
Dr. Twerski's answer is that when you show people the pleasure of something together with the subsequent pain that results, psychologically the message of the pleasure overwhelms the message of the pain. The take away from the TV documentary was “Hey this stuff must be really great because look at what people are willing to do for it.”
So too, he explained the challenge of idolatry. Moshe knew that when the Jews would enter the Land that idols and idolatry would be around them. But even more, he knew that the pleasure that the Canaanites found in worshipping idols, even if they would be conquered, would still be something very tempting to the Jewish people.
And so he warned them - and emphasized to them that the pleasure of idolatry was far outweighed by the disgusting nature of that worship and the horrific punishment that might await them. Moshe spent the time, because he knew that the danger was there!
Shabbat, Sept. 23, 2017 – 5:15pm
