Newslink for Shabbat Parashat Beha'alotcha (June 13th - June 14)
06/12/2025 05:00:58 PM
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Announcements & Upcoming Events
Kiddush is sponsored by Rabbi Ian & Machla Shaffer and Mrs. Jackie Sokolic in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of their granddaughter, Keren Sokolic. Mazal Tov!
Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Duke McCarthy.
Doughnuts and Discussion with Rabbi Dovi Friedman: Saturday morning, June 14th at approximately 10:30am in Politz Science Room for 6th-8th graders.
Gemara Shiur with Jeff Schwartz: Shabbat afternoon in the SOI Chapel 80 minutes before Mincha. Come join for an in depth study of Talmud. Rabbi Kelemen's Inner Circle: Monday evenings beginning five minutes after Maariv, June 16th Video presentation with Rabbi Kelemen, and June 23rd review session with Rabbi Davies. You can attend one, the other, or both.
Semichas Chaver Program: Wednesday evening, June 18th beginning five minutes after Maariv. Studying the laws of Brachot/Blessings, a very practical topic. Come and join this international program!
Women's Weekly Parsha Discussion: Wednesday evening, June 18th from 8:30-8:45pm. Join us on Zoom for a brief peer led discussion on the weekly parsha. Click Here to Join the Zoom.
Graduation Kiddush: Shabbat, June 21st. Celebrate any graduation Pre-K through PhD! Sponsorship options are available from $36 - $360. Click here to sponsor by June 15th.
Coffee with the Rabbi: Whether you have a burning question, seek guidance, or just want to chat, this is the perfect opportunity. Secure a cup of coffee (or tea), and your 30-minute one-on-one slot for a conversation with Rabbi Davies. Click here to reserve your slot.
Join the Shnayim Mikra Initiative! Become part of our expanding group dedicated to daily study of the weekly Parsha. Choose between in-person morning sessions or follow along with recordings on WhatsApp. Click here to join the WhatsApp group. For more information contact Rabbi Davies.
* 2025 - 2026 Membership * - The new fiscal year has begun. Please be on the lookout for 2025 - 2026 membership information arriving soon to your inbox!
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 excerpts from an article by Rabbi Shraga Simmons entitled "Knowledge and Wisdom" which speaks of the deep crucial meaning of the construction of the Menorah.
[...] This week's parsha begins with God commanding Aaron the High Priest (Moses' brother) to light the Menorah every day in the Tabernacle. [...] But then the Torah adds an interesting detail: "When you light the Menorah, be sure that the [six] outer lamps face the center" (Numbers 8:2). What do the six outer lamps represent, and why must they all face the seventh center stem?
The commentators explain that the six outer branches represent the six fields of knowledge: medicine, physics, mathematics, art, psychology and sociology. These are essential fields of scholarship. Were it not for human excellence in these areas, we would not have heart transplants, ballet, air transportation or, for that matter, the Internet. Yet the Torah is telling us that society cannot rest on knowledge alone. Unless this information is focused and directed toward the center stem – symbolizing God, Torah and spirituality – then this wisdom is for naught. Or worse, destructive. [...]
"Knowledge" without God is a recipe for disaster. We simply cannot survive without a clear moral direction. [...] Judaism says that we're born with an absolute standard – an internal moral compass. And it is through the study of Torah that we connect to that compass inside.
[...] If Torah is so central, why do we even need the other six branches? The Talmud says: "There is no Torah without Derech Eretz" – literally "the way of the land." This means we cannot separate our understanding of the world from our understanding of Torah, and vice-versa. Used properly, all seven branches best illuminate our world. [...] Thus our Parsha declares: "The Menorah should be made from [one brick] of hammered-out gold" (Numbers 8:4). The Menorah must be fashioned from a single piece of gold, symbolizing that all wisdom works together in creating a holy and peaceful world.
[...] The truth of Torah is precious today more than ever, as society grows increasingly desperate for direction. In a world full of ethical issues like cloning, euthanasia and the homeless, Torah is our outside, objective standard. It gives direction and is a hedge against extremism, illuminating the delicate middle path of logic and reason. 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.
Kiddush: Volunteers wanted to help with Kiddush - preparation, set up, and clean up! Please contact Yaakov Linder to get involved. Do you enjoy small fix-it projects or just love helping out?We’re looking for friendly hands to assist with minor repairs, like sealing doors and patching up little gaps. No special skills needed! Just a willingness to pitch in and help make a difference! If you’d like to help, please reach out to Dan Malamud or Oriel Weinberg. We truly appreciate it!
Website Update: We are pleased to share that thanks to a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern New Jersey, SOI will be redesigning our website. As a ShulCloud-based site, updates take place in real time. This means that users will see updates to the design, navigation, and pages as they take place in all phases of the project, rather than only once the project is completed. It may take a few months for the website to display in its final form. We look forward to our site being easier to navigate for our members and better communicate what we offer to those seeking information about SOI. We appreciate your patience throughout this process!
Thank you to the volunteers who helped with last week's Kiddush.
Thank you to the volunteers who helped with last week's Seudah Shlishit.
Thank you to Debbie Fineberg, Andy Rauer, Mordecai Krumbein. Brittany Yeres, Mayer Miltz, Sam Tilonsky and our JFed Security Officer Bill DiCola for providing security on Shabbos.
Mazal Tov to Yaeli and Chemmie Sokolic on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Keren!
https://www.kosherwine.com/?rfsn=5940204.12e2a2 SOI members and affiliates can click the link to go to the JCommerce websites and purchase their products. You can support SOI through the commission we earn.
House of Kosher Donation Program SOI will automatically earn 2% of your total purchase when you use our code when checking out! SOI's code is 0720
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