Parshat Acharei Mot/Shabbat Hagadol

The Torah section in Achrei Mos dealing with the laws of the Yom Kippur Service in the Bais Hamikdash concludes with the words "This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon Children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And Aharon did as Hashem commanded Moshe." [Vayikra 16:34] As an aside, it is interesting to note that even though each of the Jewish holidays comes out only once during the year, Yom Kippur is the only holiday which the Torah explicitly categorizes as being "Achas B'Shanah", once a year. Chazal explain that the death of a righteous person serves as atonement as does Yom Kippur. Therefore, when the Torah says that Yom Kippur will serve as atonement for us once during the year, it may be interpreted as a blessing. The Torah is in effect saying that there should only be

April 12, 2014 12 Nissan, 5774

Rabbi Frand on Parshat Acharei Mot

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one "day of atonement" this year, not a second equivalent day of atonement that year, i.e. -- a day marking the death of a Tzadik in the community. On that note, I saw a story whereby one year, Rav Eliyahu Lopian got up before Neilah, repeated the above thought, and began crying bitterly. He said loudly before the congregation "Halevai (let it only be so) that we just have one Yom Kippur this year, that we not need to experience any additional "Yom Kippur -like" days of atonement. Unbeknownst to him, when he made this moving declaration, the Brisker Rav, Rav Yitzchak Zeev Soloveitchik had just passed away. However, I would like to focus on the last part of the above quoted pasuk: "And Aharon did all that Hashem had spoken to Moshe". Rashi, quoting the Toras Kohanim, states: This indicates the praise of Aharon. When Aharon wore the special garments of the High Priest on Yom Kippur, he did it strictly for the sake of Heaven. There was not an iota of personal pride or haughtiness. Consider that once a year, one man out of the entire nation was privileged to wear these special garments. That could potentially go to a person's head and have an effect upon him. But the pasuk testifies that this was not the case with Aharon. He was not thinking of personal pride but did it strictly to fulfill the decree of the King. Rav Simcha Zissel Brody asks the following question: The Talmud in Brochos speaks of Rabbi Channina ben Dosa, whose intent in prayer was so focused that he did not even notice when an Arod (a serpent like animal with a very painful bite) bit him while he was davening -- so intense was his kavana. Rav Simcha Zissel asks: Why would it enter our mind to think that Aharon the High Priest would have less kavana than Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa? Why then is the Toras Kohanim

Times

Candle Lighting Friday Mincha Hashkama Parsha Shiur Youth Minyan Main Minyan Beit Midrash Mincha Shabbat Hagadol Drasha Shabbat Ends Sun. April 13

7:12 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 am 8:30 am 8:30 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 6:50 pm 7:10 pm 8:21 pm

7:30 /8:30 am

Monday Eve Pesach See schedule on page 2

Mincha 7:20 pm

Latest Times for Shema/Shmoneh Esrei Apr 12 Apr 12

9:50/10:54 am 9:39/10:45 am

Next Shabbat Chol Hamoed Candle Lighting Mincha 7:20 pm 7:20 pm

Kiddush Is Sponsored By Great neck Synagogue

There is no Seudah Shlishit in shul this Shabbat please have at home before the Shabbat hagadol drasha

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100

Shaabbat Announcements Parshat Acharei Mot/Shabbat Hagadol 5774

afraid his mind might wander and have thoughts of personal pride that he is wearing the "White Garments" designated only for the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur? Of course, his laser like concentration would not allow him to deviate for one moment from his kavanah! Rav Simcha Zissel Brody answers that it is easier not to be affected by physical pain than it is to be not affected by such things as pride and haughtiness! One can overcome the physical. It is difficult but it is doable. However, for people not to be affected by matters such as honor, jealousy, pride, and all of these very human character traits is not as easy a matter. Therefore, Chazal need to tell us -- it goes without saying that Aaron would not have been affected by a bee bite or a snake bite or the bite of any other animal -- but even when it came to honor -- which could have affected him -- he also was not affected in the slightest and did the entire service strictly for the sake of Heaven. Rav Simcha Zissel relates this comment to another amazing Medrash which he cites. The Medrash in Bereshis Rabbah states that during the Akeida the Satan came to Yitzchak and told him that all of his most prized gifts and possessions that his mother Sarah had lovingly given him throughout the years would now fall to his half-brother and nemesis, Yishmael. "Does that not bother you?" Satan teasingly asked. "How can you go through with this, Yitzchak? You are going to lose all those presents your mother gave you!" The Medrash goes on to record Yitzchak's response to this taunt. Why, the Medrash asks, does Yitzchak say "My father, my father" two times? It is in order that at least on some minuscule level, so that his father would have mercy on him and not go through with the Akeida. In other words, the Medrash implies that Satan's teasing of Yitzchak DID have at least a partial impact on him! Should Yitzchak not be above such matters? The answer is that as great at Yitzchak was, he was human and human beings are affected by these things. They are affected by honor, by lust, by pride, by jealousy, by all types of human emotions that are impossible to totally suppress. We can Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program 26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck , NY 11023 Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Zehava & Dr. Michael Atlas, Youth Directors Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Dr. Scott Danoff, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board Dena Block, Yoetzet Halacha 516-320-9818

overcome physical things, but when we start talking about a person's psyche then even the greatest of people have to deal with human frailties.

PESACH SCHEDULE
Sunday April 13th Bedikat Chometz this evening EREV PESACH Monday, April 14th Shacharit with Siyum for first born Chometz may not be eaten after: Magen Avraham Vilna Gaon Chometz must be destroyed by Magen Avraham Vilna Gaon Candle Lighting Mincha PESACH I Monday night, April 14th Kiddush after (first seder) Tuesday, April 15th Hashkama Main Shul Beit Midrash Mincha PESACH II Tuesday night, April 15th Candle Lighting after Preparations for the second seder Should not begin before Wednesday, April 16th Hashkama Main Shul Beit Midrash Mincha Yom Tov ends after CHOL HAMOED Thursday, Friday Mincha SHABBAT CHOL HAMOED Candle Lighting Mincha

6:30 am 7:45 am 10:14 am 10:42 am 11:34 am 11:46 am 7:16 pm 7:20 pm

8:15 pm 8:00 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 7:20 pm

8:16 pm 8:16 pm 8:00 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 7:20 pm 8:26 pm 6:30 am 7:45 am 7:20 pm 7:20 pm 7:20 pm

FREDA WINEMAN Fredas story begins in France, where she was born on the 6th of September 1923 in Metz, north-eastern France. Her family was religiously orthodox and enjoyed a comfortable life. However, after the Germans invaded in 1940, anti-Jewish laws were passed and in 1944 Freda and her family were arrested. They were deported first to Drancy, and then onto Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Freda worked in a number of harsh Kommandos, including Kommando Kanada, a work group that sorted the possessions of Jews murdered in the gas chambers. Freda survived in Auschwitz for 5 months before she was sent to Bergen-Belsen, then to an airplane parts factory in Raghun, where she worked as a welder. As the Allies approached, Freda was again herded onto a cattle truck and taken to Thereisenstadt, where she suffered terribly with typhus before she was finally liberated by the Soviets in May 1945. Eventually Freda was repatriated back to France and taken to the hospital in Lyon to be treated for the typhus. In 1946, with her body slowly recovering, Freda journeyed to England to search for the remaining members of her family. There in England, Freda met and married David in 1950. They had two daughters, Sandra and Irene, but Freda was struck again by tragedy when David fell ill and died suddenly in 1952. Freda explains that in an attempt to carve out a normal life for her and her daughters, she, like so many other survivors, did not speak about her experiences during the Holocaust. It wasnt until some fifty years later, that Freda was approached by the British Library to finally share her story. The recording made of Fredas story was the beginning of a concerted effort by organizations to encourage survivors to tell the world what they had endured. As more survivors came forward to record their testimonies, film director Steven Spielberg began to make his own collection of survivors stories, including Fredas. An enormous collection was compiled and Fredas testimony became part of the Shoah Foundations Visual History Archive in Los Angeles, and her unique story has been told to thousands of visitors. Freda explains how in 2000, the Smiths, a non-Jewish family, set up the UK Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, England where thousands of school children have been educated about the Holocaust. Through this centre, which is now a museum, and through HET (Holocaust Education Trust), Freda was invited to share her story with students and educators, and this began her impetus to speak regularly at schools, synagogues and memorial events. As Freda became a regular speaker, she was invited through HET to visit 10 Downing Street and meet with Prime Minister David Cameron. Freda asked Mr. Cameron to sign the Holocaust Book of Commitment; a pledge by the British Government to continue to support and teach Holocaust education. As someone who saw it with her own eyes, Freda hopes that by recounting the horrors of the Holocaust to the next generations, she can try to insure that a tragedy of this magnitude will never happen again.

TWO WAYS TO GET A MITZVAH THIS PASSOVER GNS -Passover Food Chesed Collection 2014 : Got Matzah?? Please drop off Passover canned & boxed food items to donate to Needy Families!! Please donate Passover Packaged Food by dropping it off at the Lunzer Home, 91 Bayview Ave Drop off Sun.- Fri.: till April 10 and at the Atlas home, 9 Brook Lane Sun-Fri: till April 10 You can also drop matzah off at the shul. Please ring bell so it can be brought into the house. Please leave all food in shopping or garbage bags at the garage door . Please Do Not bring items in Glass containers. Thank you for being a part of this special Mitzvah! Chometz Chesed Collection 2014 : Dont throw out your Chometz! Please donate your Chometz now!!! Please drop off your Chometz in the box in the garage at Rabbi/Rebbetzin Lichters home at 76 Berkshire Road. Their garage is located on Margo Street. You can drop off every day all day- in their garage through April 10

ANNOUNCEMENTS
BURNING CHOMETZ The Great Neck community is invited to participate in the chometz burning event to be held Monday April 14th from 8am-11-am. Site is the Kings Point park located at 187 Steamboat Rd. Please do not park in the driveway,only in the lot at rear or on street.Please do not bring chometz trash only the bread collected during your search. If you can assist in this event your help would be greatly appreciated. Call or text 516-835-8832

WITHIN OUR FAMILY Mazal Tov to Rivka & Jordan Wolf on the birth of a daughter, Carolyn Sara (Kayla Sara) and Mazal Tov to grandparents Michele & Howard Wolf. Mazal Tov to Netti & Ari Herman on the birth of a son. Mazal Tov to Rachel Bayme on the engagement of her daughter Juliet Gerber to Samuel Jemkelowitz, son of Esther Jemkelowitz of Brooklyn, NY. Mazal Tov also to grandparents Helene & Lloyd Bayme. Mazal Tov to Louise & Leonard Kahn on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Jeremy, son of Simone & Charles Griff, in Israel. Mazal Tov to Anne Gold on the engagement of her granddaughter Nini Goldberg daughter of Deborah & Charles Goldberg, to Joey Slochowsky son of Sherri & Howard Slochowsky.
PASS IT FORWARD Has experienced an unexpected increase in demand for Pesach meals. We will be purchasing all of the food to be distributed, which includes 2 Seder meals, a Seder plate and Pesach essentials for each family. Monetary contributions would be appreciated. Please make checks payable to GNS with a notation that it is for Pass it Forward. Any questions, contact Cindy Hodkin at koshercookinggn@gmail.com SAVE THE NEW DATE: The NSHA Annual Journal Dinner celebrating its 59th year will take place on Monday evening, May 19th at Citi Field honoring Stephanie & Ruvane Vilinsky, Hannah K. Flamenbaum & Charles W. Segal and Sassoun Sassouni. Those wishing to place an ad, make a reservation or serve on the dinner committee, please contact Arnie Flatow at aflatow@nsha.org or call the Business Office at 487-868 ext 2. DRIVERS NEEDED FOR TOMCHEI SHABBOS For many years members of GNS have been responsible for Route 24 of Tomchei Shabbos Queens-one of the most popular Tomchei Shabbos routes. Participation entails delivering prepared boxes of food to four apartments in Forest Hills. The packages are picked up from the Tomchei warehouse in Kew Gardens at any time after 5 PM Wednesday evenings. The entire process takes LESS than two hours to complete and be back in GN. Wed like another 3-4 individuals to join us in supporting this very important Chesed Project. Groups or families are welcome to participate. For more info, please contact Mitchell Siegel -drsiegel32@aol.com

MENS CLUB SPRING BLOOD DRIVE. The Mens Club Spring Blood Drive is dedicated to a Refuah Shleimah for Rabbi Dale Polakoff. All donors and volunteers will be inscribed in a special message to Rabbi Polakoff. The drive will be held on Sunday, April 27, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the GNS Gym. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointment holders will get expedited treatment. Please book appointments via the website (address circulated in shul emails), by email to reind@sullcrom.com or by phone 212-558-3035. All donors and volunteers will also receive a special GNS-themed gift! See flyer for more details. TUE., JUNE 10, & WED., JUNE 11, at 7:00pm: The Mens Club annual Defensive Driving Course will be presented by AARP. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. Take the course every 3 years to save $ on your car insurance premiums and reduce any points on your license. Please contact Jerry Siegelman 516-712-7538 jerrysiegelman@hotmail.com.

PASSOVER CLEANING Please begin to clean out your lockers of chometz before Passover.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to Billy and Nechama Liss-Levinson for organizing the March Chesed Collection for used medical supplies for the AFYA Foundation. We thank also the community for their generous donations.

SAVE THE DATE April 14: Siyum Bechorim April 27: Blood Drive April 27: Yom Hashoa May 3: Ohel Shabbaton May 5: Yom Hazikaron/Yom Haatzmaut May 28: Annual Meeting

SAVE THE DATE The annual North Shore Mikvah Association fundraising shiur for women will take place at the home of Marla and Micah Lemonik - 9 Myrtle Drive - On Tuesday May 13th at 7:30. The shiur will be given by Rebbetzin Abby Lerner and is entitled, They Said What? The Surprising Rabbinic Attitudes Towards Intimacy. Light refreshments will be served and orchids from "Blooming Flowers" will be for sale with proceeds to benefit the mikvah. Suggested Donation $36.00, Sponsorships - $100, Gold Sponsor - $180.00 For more information - please email NSMikvah@gmail.com

FROM THE GN EIRUV ASSOCIATION We thank those of who have participated in our yearly fundraising effort on behalf of our community Eiruv. If you have not joined with those who have contributed we ask for your help now. Please send your contributions (Suggested amount $180) ASAP. Your fully tax deductible contributions can be made on line at www.greatneckeiruv.org/donate or by sending your check to: GN Eiruv Association, 15 Cuttermill Road, Box 182, Great Neck, NY 11021.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 12 Nissan Miriam Glaubach for Rachel Herringer Mitchell J. Siegel for Edith Turner Sunday, 13 Nissan Nadine Eckstein for Tillie Engel Monday, 14 Nissan Robert Herman for Frank Herman Tuesday, 15 Nissan Joan Braun for Phyllis Shapiro Mark Gold for Regina Gold Leonard Kahn for Rachel Kahn Mina Kotler for Pearl Rodzynek Ruth Kraft for Salli Berl Bogatyrow Wednesday, 16 Nissan Marc Gottlieb for Sarah Schwartzman Thursday, 17 Nissan Paul Brody for Minnie Brody Judith Traub for Usher Hechtkopf Friday, 18 Nissan Marvin Greenwald for Matilda Greenwald