What's Happening at West Orange Synagogues

Shabbos Shoftim

Friday, Aug. 24

6 Elul

Mincha 7 p.m.–reg. Candlelighting 7:23 p.m. 

Shabbos, August 25

7 Elul

Chassidus with Rabbi Herson: 8:30 a.m.

Morning Services: 9:30 a.m.

Children’s Program: Parsha, Prayer, Play time and Snack: 10:30 a.m.

Rabbi’s sermon: 11:25 a.m. – Shul Kiddush 

Parsha class after Kiddush

Rabbi Herson’s class: 6:15 p.m.

Mincha 7:15 p.m.  - Pirke Avos Chapter 6

Shabbos ends: 8:23 p.m.

Kiddush Levana and evening Services. 

Daily Services, Shachris:

Sun.: 8:30 a.m.

Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m.

 --------------

Message from the Rabbi

Dear Friends, 

I have a friend who will not buy avocados on principle.

"Fifty percent of the weight is the seed," he explains.

He loves purchasing apples, grapes and bananas, but avocados and mangos are out. Peaches and dates are borderline -- he'll buy them on occasion, with deep misgivings. 

My friend has a point - the whole fruit business is a scam. Trees need to procreate; that's why they grow seeds.

But trees are not very mobile, leaving them with the problem of how to get their seeds planted a reasonable distance away (if both you and your offspring are immobile, you can't throw them out of the house at age 35).

One way would be to tap a passing bird, animal or human on the shoulder and say: "Excuse me, sir, can you please take these seeds and drop them off some distance away, preferably some place with good soil, sunshine and an abundant water supply?"

But most passersby would probably mumble something about a doctor's appointment and slink away.

So the tree packages its seeds in colorful, tasty and nutritional pulp, and markets it as "fruit."  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 "Man is a tree of the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19). 

We resemble the tree in numerous ways: in our ceaseless "upward" striving, in our need for "roots," in the way that our lives fork and "branch" off in different directions, among others.

Chief amongst them, of course, is the way that everything we are and do is focused on the generation of seed. 

Man is a spiritual being, which means that we not only reproduce physically -- by giving birth to children -- but also spiritually: we replicate ourselves by seeding our ideas, feelings and convictions in the minds and hearts of others.

And here, says the Lubavitcher Rebbe, we find an interesting parallel between the way that the fruit tree dispatches its seeds and the way that we disseminate our thoughts and experiences. 

The fruit tree's vehicle of reproduction consists of two basic components: 

1) The seed, into which the tree distills its very self - its characteristics, its nature, its quintessential treeness; 

2) the "packaging" that makes it attractive and palatable to its curriers and consumers. 

Both are necessary. Without the packaging, the seed wouldn't get very far, or would do so only with great difficulty.

On the other hand, if a tree were to produce a most luscious and attractive fruit but neglect to include a seed, nothing would happen. There would be no shortage of consumers, but no progeny. 

When we seek to "reproduce" spiritually by communicating our thoughts and feelings to others, we, too, package our seeds. We envelop them in intellectual sophistication, steep them in emotional sauce, dress them in colorful words and images.

If we didn't, our message might not get very far (my avocado-shunning friend, for one, would not display much interest). But the important thing to remember is that there must be a "seed" in there. If the fruit of our mind doesn't encase a piece of our soul, what's the point? 

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz

Director, Lubavitch Center of Essex County 

---------------------------------------------------

Join Lubavitch Center for

INSPIRATIONAL HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES

With Meaning, Melody and Humor! 

No Affiliation Necessary, Traditional and Inspirational Services

Hebrew/English Prayer-Books, Warm and Friendly Atmosphere

Special Children's Program & Service 

Rosh Hashanah Begins: Sunday, Sept. 16

Yom Kippur Begins Tuesday, Sept. 25 

High Holiday Seats

Adult: $100 per seat

Child: $50 per seat

Advance reservations are requested. 

5773 Membership:

Single or family membership dues includes High Holiday seats

Family membership: $770
Single: $360 

Lubavitch Center Shul
395 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, NJ 07052 

To RSVP or for more information please visit: www.ChabadEssex.com
E-mail: rabbimkas@gmail.com 
Phone: (973) 486-2362

-- SAVE THE DATES --- 

Slichot: Sat. Sept 8th 

HIGH HOLY DAYS: Rosh Hashanah - Sept. 16-18

Yom Kippur - Sept. 25-26 

Trip to Crown Heights, Simchas Beis: Oct. 6, 8:30 p.m. 

JEWISH LEARNING INSTITUTE

Fall Semester: Oct 29 - THE KABBALAH OF YOU