Newslink for Shabbat Parashat Chukat (July 4th - July 6th)
07/03/2025 05:43:37 PM
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Announcements & Upcoming Events
Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Duke McCarthy.
Summer Women's Shiur Series: Shabbat afternoons at 5:30pm. Open to all women in the community! July 5th, given by Shira Baratz and hosted by Michelle Goldstein - 417 Columbia Blvd. For more information reach out to Suzie Lubin or Yehudeet Gore.
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 evening beginning five minutes after Maariv, July 7th review session with Rabbi Davies.
Semichas Chaver Program: Wednesday evening, July 9th beginning five minutes after Maariv. Studying the laws of Brachot/Blessings, a very practical topic. Come and join this international program!
Hafrashat Challah Event: with Bridging the Gap: An international video presentation from the OU's Women's Initiative, A conversation with Shelly Shem Tov and Margalit Peretz, July 10th beginning at 8:15pm hosted at the Bienenfeld Home - 12 Aaron Ct.
VINTAGE Event - Monster Golf & Pizza Night: Tuesday, July 30th at 5:00pmat 2040 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill. Price is $25 per person. To register, Venmo and RSVP to Debbie Friedner at 609-315-6094. Don’t miss out on this monstrously good time!
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.
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 Eli Scheller entitled "Generously Stingy" that teaches a profound idea from the opening Mitzvah of the Parsha.
This week's Torah portion begins, "This is the statute of the Torah," and proceeds to discuss the laws of parah adumah (the red heifer), a mitzvah that is beyond human comprehension. [The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks] Why is this mitzvah called "the chok (statute) of the Torah." Does this mitzvah encompass the entire Torah? Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to say, "This is the chok of purity"?
A paradox is found in the laws of parah adumah; its ashes purify one who had become impure, yet those who engage in its preparation become impure themselves! The apparently contradictory elements of this mitzvah teach us that a person has to serve God with all his attributes - even conflicting ones.
It is important for a person to be humble and modest, but that is not enough. When one is unconcerned about his own honor, he may begin to be carefree with his friend's honor. He'll feel free to cause him pain and embarrass him. Likewise, it is important for a person to be giving and generous, although when one is generous and openhanded with his own money, he may begin to be very easy-going with other people's money as well, and end up causing damage to their property or stealing from them. The Torah is teaching us that the paradox of parah adumah must be applied to other parts of the Torah as well.
[Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that] A person has to be generous yet stingy. When it comes to one's own money, a person has to be openhanded. However, when it comes to other people's money, one needs to be tightfisted. He has to make sure his friend does not lose any money or spend one cent more than he has to. Similarly, one has to be humble, not seeking any honor or admiration from others. But, when it comes to his friend's honor, he has to give his friend plenty of respect and honor. 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.
2025-2026 membership dues! All past members should have received their new dues invoice by email. Please log into your Shulcloud account to set up payment. We are grateful to have you as members of our shul, and we appreciate your partnership with us in continuing to create meaningful experiences, enriching friendships, and opportunities for learning and growth. Please email financialsecretary@soicherryhill.org with any questions.
To maintain your member in good standing status, please be sure to either pay your balance in full, have your account set up for automatic monthly payments, or pay 50% of your dues by August 15th.
Additionally, all members in good standing are entitled to fobs for entry to the shul during weekday minyanim. Fobs will be reset on August 31st to be active for current members only. If you are a member and have not previously been issued a fob, please contact the office at officeadmin@soicherryhill.orgto obtain one.
If you are a new family and would like to become members of SOI please visit www.soicherryhill.org and complete the Membership Application Form.
Chulent Fund Chulent at our weekly kiddish has become a valued and appreciated aspect of kiddush for our community. Aside from a treat after davening, it helps create an environment of community and achdut.
In an effort to replenish the chulent fund, we are asking for your help. Please consider donating $36 or more to the "Chulent Fund". At full community participation, we will be able to have chulent at kiddush throughout the year. The success of this project will determine our ability to have chulent featured weekly at Kiddush. Click the link below to Donate!
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.
Shabbos Water Begins Thank you to Andy Rauer for sponsoring water this Shabbat.
Thank you to Bob Belfer, Harvey Chaitoff, Adam Shulman, Jeff Liss, Steve Koloski, Robbie Friedner, Debbie Fineberg, Sam Tilonsky and JFed Security Officer Bill DiCola for providing security on Shabbos.
Mazel Tov to Yehuda & Sloane Stuchins, and big brother Benjamin on the birth of baby girl, Perel Eden!
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
(Think of our shul's address and add a "0" at the start!)
All submissions for the Newslink are due by noon on Wednesday
Reminder: If your mailing information has been changed, please update it on our website by logging on at soicherryhill.org If you know someone who is not receiving our weekly email, please let the office know.
