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I am very excited for the opportunity to share words of Torah with you. Each week, in this spot, I look to share an idea I've found that speaks to me and that I think will resonate with you as well. This week, I share with you an article by Rabbi Shraga Simmons entitled "50-50 Chance" about the meaning in our daily lives of the two goats of the Yom Kippur service.

Parshat Acharei Mot discusses the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. One of the most dramatic moments was when two goats were brought into the Temple, and a lottery was held to determine which goat would be offered on the holy altar, and which goat would be pushed off the rocky cliff at Azazel - as the original "scapegoat." The Talmud explains that these two goats must be exactly identical in appearance, size, and value. There's nothing apparent to distinguish between them. And it's all decided by lottery - a 50/50 chance to become a holy offering, or to meet a gruesome death.

The Kabbalists explain that this symbolizes the idea of our own free will. At every given moment, doing the right thing is always a 50/50 choice. Most likely, none of us have a real desire to commit murder. And at the other end, it's unlikely that we're prepared to drop everything to go save starving children in Africa. Our real choices are confined to a specific point where, realistically, the choice could go either way, 50/50. The implication of this is that no one is intrinsically righteous or evil. Rather, at each moment we choose to be - for that moment - righteous or evil, to grow or to stagnate. And then, the aggregate of all those "moments" is what defines our spiritual and moral standing.

Rabbi Hirsch explains that understanding the idea of the two goats in itself brings us to a higher level. For although free will grants us enormous power, if we don't realize that we have this power, we'll let decisions "just happen," without using our free will actively. The Talmud says: Greater than the gift of free will, is that God told us we have free will. Indeed, as we learn from the two goats, that choice-point can spell the very difference between growth and stagnation ... between life and death.

Hoping and praying for a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Davies
Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org

We are excited to be partnering with Mizrachi World Movement to provide their publication of HaMizrachi Parasha Weekly.

There are less than 4 weeks until the SOI Gala!
Make sure to purchase your tickets and place your ads before the early bird deadline of May 8th! After that date, ticket prices will go up to $225 single ticket and $400 for couple.
 Help us honor and thank this year's honorees for everything they do for our shul and our community by participating today!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ALREADY PURCHASED TICKETS AND PLACED ADS!
 We look forward to celebrating with you all on May 29th!

Mazal Tov

to Josh and Ahuva Boniuk on the birth of baby girl Bella Nili

and to Joseph and Isabella Zummo and big brother Abie on the birth of baby girl Mara Brielle

Mazal Tov to Steve and Karine Koloski on the birth of a granddaughter to Jeremy and Shlomit in Israel

We regret to inform you of the passing of Julie Salomon
Rachel Yehudit bat Avraham Raphael
beloved sister of Pamela (Robert) Benedon.

Shiva is taking place at the Benedon home
24 Liberty Lane
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

Shiva Visiting Hours:
Family requests no visits Thursday, Sunday and Monday from 12:00 - 2:00pm and 6:00pm - 7:30pm, Friday after 3:00pm, and Saturday after 10pm. 

Remaining Shiva Minyan Times:
Shacharit: Friday, Monday and Tuesday at 7:30am
and Sunday at 8:30am
Mincha/Maariv: Thursday, Sunday, Monday at 7:40pm
Maariv: Saturday night 9:00pm 

A huge yasher koach to everyone who participated in providing security during Passover.  Without the cooperation of the individuals who invested their time on Shabbos, the first days of Passover, Shabbos Chol HaMoed and the last days of Passover we could not have provided the exceptional level of security our shul enjoys.

Adam Shulman, Avi Rynderman, Baila Silverman, Chemmie Sokolic, Debbie Pester, Don Becker, Glen, Jef Liss, Ken Panitch, Michael Morganstern, Shari Solomon, Shlomo Aronoff, Yaakov Levinson, Yaakov Linder, Matti Rosenberg, Elon Elisha, Avi Sadiky, Rachael Shuster, Mordecai krumbein, Ari Morgenstern, Diane Irwin, Noah Botwinick, Blake Daugherty, Steve Koloski, JFed Security Officer Bill DiCola, JFed Security Officer Aaron Dowdy, Debbie Fineberg, Donna Moskowitz, Chani Wiesman Berliant and Sam Tilonsky.
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