THE JEWISH WELFARE BOARD

Upcoming events

 On Behalf of the entire community and the Jewish Welfare Board we wish a warm welcome to Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Lord Sacks and Lady Sacks 

We likewise wish our dear friend Andrew and Angie Lim a heartfelt Mazal Tov on the occasion of the Bar Mitzvah of their son Eyal. May he continue to be a source of pride and much nachas leorech yamim veshanim tovot.

We would like to wish Jeffrey and Karen Benjamin and the entire family Mazal Tov on the birth of their new born daughter . May she be a source of  nachat to her family and community and whole of K`llal  Yisrael

- The new JLI course on Jewish Business Ethics, entitled “Money Matters” will be starting on Monday the 23rd of January.

Money Matters will present Judaism’s approach to practical economic  dilemmas and monetary quandaries that we face daily in both our   personal and professional lives. To register and for more info, visit the website at www.myjli.com

- Come join us for a Community Shabbaton in honor of Tu B'shvat, which will take place on Friday night, 3rd of Febuary, after the services. Family $50 (with children under 12 years), adult $25, children above 12 years  $10, students $15 and  nannies $10. Please RSVP to http://singaporejews.com/rsvp.html

- The kosher shop will be closed from Sunday 22nd Jan - Tuesday 24th Jan due to Chinese New Year

Parasha in a Nutshell

Va'eria: Exodus 6:2-9:35

G-d reveals Himself to Moses. Employing the "four expressions of redemption," He promises to take out the Children of Israel from Egypt, deliver them from their enslavement, redeem them and acquire them as His own chosen people at Mount Sinai; He will then bring them to the Land He promised to the Patriarchs as their eternal heritage.

Moses and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand in the name of G-d, "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness." Pharaoh repeatedly refuses. Aaron's staff turns into a snake and swallows the magic sticks of the Egyptian sorcerers. G-d then sends a series of plagues upon the Egyptians.

The waters of the Nile turn to blood; swarms of frogs overrun the land; lice infest all men and beasts. Hordes of wild animals invade the cities, a pestilence kills the domestic animals, painful boils afflict the Egyptians. For the seventh plague, fire and ice combine to descend from the skies as a devastating hail. Still, "the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the children of Israel go; as G-d had said to Moses."

Weekly Shabbat lunch sponsor

Andrew  and Angie Lim in honor of the Bar-Mitzvah

of their son Eyal Mikhael.  Mazal Tov!

The Seuda Shelishit is partially sponsored by:

David and Caren Srolovitz in memory of

David's late father Huna Chaim Srolovitz o.b.m.

Our Shabbat lunches offer a beautiful opportunity to meet fellow
Jews from all over the world as well as much needed hospitality to
young students, guests and visitors who would not otherwise enjoy
the Shabbat experience. We hope that you will partner with us in
sponsoring these lunches and help us provide much
needed hospitality every Shabbat. Please contact us at :enquiries@jwb.org.sg

Main article

Why Didn't Pharaoh Release the Israelites?

"But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt." – Exodus 7:3

Free Choice is the essential component which justifies the concepts of reward and punishment. It would be inappropriate to punish a robot for performing an immoral act which it was programmed to do. Nor would one reward a stove for cooking a sumptuous meal, or a bee for producing delicious honey. Humans, on the other hand, are rewarded and punished for their actions because they choose to do good or evil. This is why this week's Torah portion has always puzzled Jewish philosophers: How could Pharaoh be punished for refusing to comply with G-d's demands to grant freedom to the Israelites, if G-d Himself "hardened his heart"? To borrow a line from our Patriarch Abraham: "Will the Judge of the entire earth not perform justice?!"

Many interesting answers are given to explain this seeming injustice. Nachmanides offers an answer which is as profound as it is astoundingly simple. Nachmanides argues that had G-d refrained from hardening Pharaoh's heart, he would have then been deprived of the ability to make a coherent and true choice. Indeed, the plagues would have compelled him to let the Israelites go—an option he most certainly would not have chosen in the absence of G-d's strong hand.

Pharaoh's freeing the Israelites after their G-d had ravaged his land with frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence, etc., can be compared to handing over one's wallet to an armed mugger—neither is an act of "free" choice.

Since the scale was so heavily weighted towards Pharaoh's sending the Jews out – after all, what would any normal sovereign choose to do when his country is slowly and systematically being destroyed – G-d steeled Pharaoh's resolve, causing that the plagues shouldn't interfere with his decision-making process, and allowing him to continue expressing his true desire. G-d hardened his heart so that he would have the strength and ability to freely choose his course of action – and he freely chose to retain the Israelites as slaves. Thus Pharaoh rightfully earned divine retribution for his shameful behavior.

The extent to which G-d went to ensure the integrity of Pharaoh's free choice is nothing short of incredible. And the intended moral is equally compelling and uplifting.

If the benevolent and all-merciful Creator manipulated Pharaoh's psyche and cognitive abilities to guarantee his ability to choose evil, certainly He does anything necessary to ensure our ability to choose good!

It is very popular to blame a plethora of external factors for one's shortcomings. But the Torah teaches us that even the most awesome and devastating circumstances don't affect a person's G-d-given of freedom of choice.

We must never become discouraged. No matter what is written in the pages of our private history books, no matter our current personal situation, we always have the moral strength to choose the proper path.

Elite kosher shop

The Kosher shop stocks a wide range of products such as meats (imported from Australia),
poultry, dairy products, as well as a large variety of wines. 

                        
The Kosher Shop also just received a wide range of products form Israel at very affordable prices such as popular snacks (Bissli etc…), canned foods and much more.

 The Awafi Restaurant

Open for Lunch and Dinner To make a reservation call 6336. 5166
Also serving breakfast every morning after Shacharit.Awafi also provides for outside catering.
 Feel free to contact us at: 6336 5166 

Halacha Corner

Benedictions - Berachot

1. We are commanded to recite a benediction after eating, as it says "And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless Ha-Shem your G-d". The sages further instituted benedictions before eating, drinking, or smelling fragrant odors; before performing commandments; and benedictions of praise to G-d on various occasions. Ezra and his court established the wording of all the benedictions; one should not depart from it. One who hears another reciting a benediction should respond "amen". One should avoid unnecessary benedictions, but it is praiseworthy to make many necessary ones, as David said "Every day I shall bless you"

One who receives good news should recite the benediction "...Who is good and does good"; on bad news one should recite "...the True Judge". On good events or on the performance of commandments that happen only infrequently one recites "...Who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and helped us reach this time". A sick person who recovers, a prisoner who is released, a seafarer who reaches land, and a traveller who reaches a settlement should publicly recite "...Who has bestowed all goodness on me". Other benedictions were instituted for one who sees unusual creatures or natural phenomena, or the new moon, as well as for many other occasions

Growing Each Day-With Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski

Where were you when I established the earth? (Job 38:4).

One who reads the book of Job cannot but have compassion for just and pious Job, who appears to be unfairly subjected to suffering. All the rational arguments that his friends offer to account for his innocent suffering appear hollow, and the only acceptable answer is God's remark to Job, "Where were you when I established the earth?"

In other words, a human being can see only a tiny fragment of the universe, an infinitesimally small bit of time and space. Our vantage point is much like a single piece of a huge jigsaw puzzle, a tiny fragment of the whole picture, which makes no sense on its own. Only when the entire puzzle is assembled do we realize how this odd-shaped piece fits properly. Since no human being can have a view of the totality of the universe in both time and space, we cannot possibly grasp the meaning of one tiny fragment of it.

This explanation does not tell us why the innocent may suffer, but only why there cannot be a satisfactory explanation. Acceptance of suffering therefore requires faith in a Creator who designed the universe with a master plan in which everything that happens has a valid reason. This belief may not comfort a sufferer nor prevent the sufferer from becoming angry at the Designer of the universe. The Torah does not in fact condemn the anger of the sufferer (Bava Basra 16b), but does require that he accept adversity with trust that God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Acceptance does not mean approval, but it does allow us to avoid the paralyzing rage of righteous rage, and to go on with the business of living 

Arseth

 26 Tevet/ 21 January

Aharon Shelomo (ben Esther)

Sassoon Yaakov Shalom (ben Girgee)

28 Tevet/ 23 January

Ezra Shimhoon

1 Shvat/ 25 January

Sybil Holloway Kadoorie

2 Shvat/ 26 January

Kadoorie (ben Moshe)

Today in Jewish history...

 25 Tevet

-Anti-Jewish riots in different parts of Austria, 1312.

-First critical edition of Chovot HaLevavot (otherwise known as “Duties of the Heart and authored by Rabbi Bachya Ibn Paquda ZT”L -circa 11^thCentury) was first published in Italy, 1559.

26 Tevet

-Jews of Sicily required to wear a special badge, 1369. (Once again, note how non-original the Nazis were.)

27 Tevet

-Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, 1888.

28 Tevet

-R. Shimon b. Shetach ridded the Sanhedrin of its Tzadoki members. The day was subsequently celebrated as a holiday.

-Jews of Switzerland were granted civic equality, 1866, upon pressure exerted by the United States which had interceded on behalf of American Jewish citizens.

29 Tevet

-Earliest authorization for the establishment of a university, including medical and law studies, under Jewish auspices granted, Sicily, 1466. (It never happened because the Jews of Sicily were expelled some years later.)

-Recife, Brazil conquered by Portugal, ending the legal existence of the prosperous Jewish community there, 1654

Ask The Rabbi

All Jewish practices have their simple reasons as well as deeper, more spiritual explanations.

One obvious benefit of separate seating in a synagogue is that it helps ensure that the main focus is on the prayers and not on the opposite gender. There is no question that we don't act the same in a mixed crowd as we do in a same-gender one. There is nothing wrong with that. It is good and healthy that we are attracted to each other, but during prayers we shouldn't be trying to impress anyone other than G-d.

In addition to that, a synagogue should be a welcoming and inclusive place. No one should feel left out. Many single people feel extremely uncomfortable at a function or event at which everyone seems to be with a partner except them. No one should ever feel this way at a synagogue. When men and women sit separately, there is no discrimination between singles and couples.

But it goes deeper than that. Women and men are very different beings. Not only are we physically different; our thought processes, emotional states and psychology are all different. This is because our souls are different - they come from complementary but opposite sources. The prayer experience is supposed to be an opportunity to be with your true self, to communicate with your soul. Men and women need space from each other to help them become intuned to their higher selves.

Weekly Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Eggplant (Peeled)
• 2 tsp Salt
• 3/4 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs
• 1 Tbsp Galic Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 Egg
• 2 Egg (Whites)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (Divided)
• 1 Large Green Pepper (Chopped)
• 1 Medium Onion (Chopped)
• 1/2 lb Fresh Mushrooms (Sliced)
• 14 1/2 Ounces Stewed Tomatoes (2 cans)
• 6 Ounces Skim Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices, sprinkle with salt, put in a colander and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat eggs. Dip eggplant into eggs, then coat with a crumb mixture.
4. In a large skillet, cook first batch of eggplant in 1/2 tbsp oil for 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Transfer to an non-greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and do the same for the second batch.
5. In the same skillet, sauté the pepper, onion and mushrooms in remaining oil for 5 minutes or until pepper and onion are crisp-tender. Sprinkle over eggplant, top with tomatoes.
6. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Uncover, place cheese slices over the top.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

Ongoing Events & Programs

Weekly Minyan, stories and snacks for children after reading of the Torah. For more info contact The boys.
One on one learning with the Yeshiva Boys for adults and children. Contact Mrs. Rivni@ 92327095.
Lunch & Learn Tuesdays at Awafi, JBC. Contact Rabbi Abergel
Talmud class every Wednesday@ 9:00pm in tractate Sanhedrin. Contact Rabbi Abergel
Mikva: Mrs. Simcha Abergel 9673 9184
Mrs. Odelia Rivni 9232 7095
(Appointments at least one day before)

Yeshiva Boys

• Mendy Ash: 9459 8690
• Yisroel Drihem: 9459 8125
• Dovid Knapp: 9459 8152
• Sroli Gutnick: 9384 3236
• Mendel Kranz : 9488 8610
• JWB Offices, Julia: 6337 2189 ext 103
• Awafi Restaurant, Sushil: 6336 5166
• Kosher Shop, Maya: 6337 2189 ext 107

www.singaporejews.com
enquiries@jwb.org.sg