Rabbi's Blog

Dear Shaare Family,

What an amazing week this has been, with so much to be thankful for! Last Shabbat we celebrated two bnei mitzvah in our community and heard one of the most musical and special tefillot we experienced in a long time, led by the members of Kol Ish. Our terrific Chanukah carnival took place on Sunday and our teens did an amazing job staffing and running it. On a personal note, our family celebrated a special simcha this week as Jessica’s brother Scott Abramowitz got engaged to Anna Weisberg. This is a wonderful simcha for so many reasons- Anna and Scott are terrific together and well suited for one another; our kids love Anna and we do as well. We knew Anna was a keeper when she spent Shavuot with us three years ago during the storm and ensuing several days of power outage, and we didn’t get sick of her at all! 

Rabbi’s Recommendations

Today (Thursday) is the fifth of Tevet, a day celebrated by Chabad Chassidim as a “Chassidishe Yom Tov,” a special day marking a watershed event in the history of the chassidic group (other Chassidic communities have their own similar days). In the pantheon of these special days on the Chabad calendar, this one is one of the most recent. It celebrates a court decision in 1987 awarding custody of the library of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l to the Chabad Chassidim, and not to the Rebbe’s nephew, Barry Gurary, who had taken items from the library and sold them to collectors. While it may seem strange to mark a day of celebration over a victory in secular court, Chabad chassidim considered it to be a test of the very foundations of what their movement was built upon. At stake for them were not simply who owns the library, but who was the custodian over Chabad’s heritage, who had legitimate claim to the leadership of Chabad and even the very definition of a Chassidic Rebbe. For more about this court case, read here and here .

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

Rabbi’s Recommendation

This week’s Torah reading opens with a description of the aggressive and dysfunctional dynamics that existed between Yosef and his brothers. The best that can be said about them is, per Rashi, that they did not speak “with one manner in their mouth and another in their heart.” In other words, Yosef’s brothers were completely transparent about their loathing of him. Rather than connecting with one another, they talk at one another- Yosef proclaiming his dreams and the brothers hating him for his preening, self-centered ways. One wonders what would happen if the brothers actually had a conversation in which they tried to understand each other, or find common ground (see Radak on Bereishit 37:4) . I began thinking about this a few weeks ago after seeing this skit from Saturday Night Live called  Man Park . It is both hilarious and deeply sad. In a humorous way, it touches on the difficulty men have in making new friends, in part because they are socialized not to be emotionally open or connect with one another on a deeper level- and the challenge that faces women who are expected to carry the emotional load for these men in their lives. 

Hakarat HaTov Corner

Each week, I feature the Hakarat HaTov corner, an opportunity to express gratitude for something that happened this past week. Thanksgiving and Chanukah happening in rapid succession, with Chanukah’s mandate lehodot uleHallel, to give thanks and praise, are opportunities for all of us to create our own Hakarat HaTov corner.

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the wedding of our members Ariella and Harel Rush this past Sunday. Surrounded by the buildings of downtown Dallas and buffeted by particularly strong winds, we shared in one of the most joyous, life affirming Chuppot Jessica and I have experienced in a long time. Thank God, I have reason to travel regularly and participate in the weddings members make for their children, but rarely do I get to celebrate when it is the members themselves getting married. It was a great opportunity to meet Ariella and Harel’s families, friends and Rabbis, including Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky of Bnai David Judea in Los Angeles, and Rabbi Yossi New of Congregation Beth Tefillah in Sandy Springs, Georgia, who is also the head Chabad Shaliach in the state. When we lived in the tri-state area, it was not uncommon to attend several weddings a week- and I had colleagues who would attend several weddings every Sunday. Living outside New York, we do attend fewer weddings, but each one is so special as a result. 

I am also grateful we had the opportunity to host Esther Wein on Sunday evening, at an event attended by over 100 women from across Dallas. Thank you to Rebbetzin Marcy Fried for her partnership in making this Torah event possible. I stopped by briefly before the event began and overheard many women commenting on how beautiful our building is and what a vibrant shul we have.

Finally, I am grateful for the many smachot and exciting events happening this and next weekend that will bring people together and to Shaare Tefilla- whether is the Thanksgiving crafts project for our youth this morning, the reception in honor of Dana and Zack Spizner, Jadon Abramov’s Bar Mitzvah, a pre-Chanukah breakfast with a lecture about the Maccabees by Robert Epstein and next weekend, the Shabbat of Song with Kol Ish  sponsored by Ilana Zeltser and David Yalovsky in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Jake Yalovsky.

Shabbat Shalom, Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Chanukah,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

On Tuesday, Rabbi Dr. Jeremy Wieder, a Rosh Yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, delivered a talk to the students of YU titled Our Communal Responsibilities and Our Responsibilities Towards Our Community. It is an impassioned analysis of the corrosive effect that a consumer mentality, and a ruthless capitalist attitude, has on the morality and sustainability of Modern Orthodox life. Commenting on those who adopt a Jewish version of the “Prosperity Gospel,” in which those who are wealthy are presumed to be virtuous and in which the Torah is viewed as another iteration of the Chicago School of Economics, he says that the Torah, while not a socialist document, is one that espouses a regulated form of capitalism with a communitarian bent and that

“...Anyone who tells you otherwise has probably not bothered to study Torah carefully. Maybe it is because they are ignorant. Or maybe it is because they are dependent on their parnasa on institutions whose raison d'etre is to serve the needs of the wealthy and powerful by confusing their desired outcomes with Torah values.”

He continues by tackling the issue of tuition structures for day schools, the narrow range of professions that have become socially acceptable and sufficiently remunerative, and the economics that drive people away from avodat hakodesh, in the form of education and the Rabbinate. He does not just raise problems, he does offer some solutions as well. I would urge everyone to take a half an hour and listen.

Hakarat HaTov Corner

1. I am filled with gratitude to Hashem that a vaccine against COVID is now available for children ages 5-11. With God’s help, two of my own children will be vaccinated on Monday, and I eagerly await the availability of the vaccine for younger children as well. I would urge everyone with children of the appropriate ages to take advantage of this opportunity, as a matter of Jewish law and public health, which brings us ever closer to a normal life. 

2. As today is Veteran’s Day, we owe a debt of gratitude to all those we know who served in the US Armed Forces, including those whose service was to care for the spiritual needs of the troops. My grandfather, Rabbi Dr. Isaiah Rackovsky z”l, served as a chaplain during World War II, enlisting after serving nearly a decade as a congregational Rabbi (and being deployed while newly married to my grandmother z”l). 

Rabbi’s Recommendation

At the risk of self promotion, please check out the videos from the past two classes from our series How To Do Shul - I hope you find them meaningful!

Shabbat Shacharit

The Torah Service

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

This coming weekend, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary will be hosting their Chag Hasemikhah, celebrating the ordination of three years’ worth of Rabbinic alumni. In the past, the Chag Hasmichah was held once every four years, but recently, they switched to a triennial event. This year, some 150 musmakhim will be recognized, serving in a diverse array of communities and coming from a wide range of backgrounds and geographic locations. I am eternally grateful for the education and professional training I received at RIETS and the continuing support they offer their alumni and other Rabbis around the world.

In this Chag Hasemikhah cohort, 23 musmakhim are in the pulpit, 35 in education, 10 in non profit, 22 in Kollel and 50 in the workforce or school. Of those in Rabbinic positions, 35% are in New York, 25% in Israel and 40% in communities in the US and Canada outside New York. 

Before the last Chag Hasemikhah, I spoke about the need for our community to cultivate more professionals who enter into Avodat HaKodesh, particularly serving communities like our own. The last Dallasites to earn Semikhah have been from the Chabad and Chofetz Chaim communities; the last musmakh of RIETS from Shaare was Rabbi Josh Abramson, and before him Rabbi Akiva Wolk. Cultivating Jewish communal professionals does not just mean encouraging young people with talent to enter into professional Jewish communal life, or, at minimum, not discouraging them from doing so. It means creating an environment in which those who work for the Jewish community feel professionally supported, and that those whom they serve wish for them to succeed and position them to do so. This is especially important in the post COVID era, where the job of running an institution, be it a school, shul or other non-profit organization, has become that much more difficult. May we rise to the challenge!

Rabbi’s Recommendations

1. Some of the legendary speeches of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm’s career were delivered at the Chag Hasemikhah. Listen to and  view some of them here. 

2. This weekend is also the Kinus Hashluchim, the International Conference of Chabad Emissaries, held in person after a one year hiatus (it was virtual last year). Check out this article about the spate of real estate acquisitions Chabad institutions have made in the past year.

Shabbat Shalom!

Sincerely,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

Just after Pesach, Shaare Tefilla was privileged to join the ranks of one of the fastest growing Torah initiatives in the world- the Semichat Chaver Program, an innovative halachic study program for men carefully crafted for the needs of the 21st century, with a specialized focus on the ethical meaning of halacha and the conceptual underpinnings of observance.
 
Each week, there is a weekly shiur of approximately 1:30 duration that explores some hashkafic element of the material; we then began with questions about a hypothetical scenario that we would debate. We would then go through the sources that provided us with the ability to engage with and answer the question. While this is not a real semicha, Upon completion of each topic, there is an optional written exam, and every member who passes the exam receives a certificate of accomplishment and divrei bracha signed by Rav Herschel Schacher, Rosh Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel at RIETS, Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem, and Rav Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem.
 
This semester, we studied laws of Shabbat governing cleaning and laundering clothes and fabrics, opening packages, making and melting ice on Shabbat and the melacha of borer (separating mixtures into component parts or removing things from mixtures). I am delighted to tell you that all the participants who took the test passed. A special Mazal Tov to Michael Rogers, Eric Safern and Shelley Weiss on their accomplishments!
 
The new semester of the Semichat Chaver Program begins on Monday, October 19, 2021 at 7:45 P.M. We will be studying laws governing the interplay between Jews and non-Jews on Shabbat, as well as fascinating and important laws pertaining to Kiddush and Havdalah. Whether you are new to this kind of study and this program, whether you began last semester and stopped, now is the time to start again! 
 
Additionally, Daf Yomi will be finishing Masechet Beitzah on Sunday, October 10. Come on board on Monday, October 12 for Masechet Rosh Hashanah!
 
Hakarat HaTov
 
This week, we have had difficulty getting a minyan nearly every single night. On two evenings, we did not get one at all, leaving a member who is saying kaddish stranded. I am grateful for those who replied to our whatsapp messages, even if they could not attend. If you are not a member of the group already, please join by clicking here . Also, please sign up here to attend on specific days. A functioning daily minyan is the engine that drives an Orthodox shul, and an essential  service we provide our members and the many travelers who visit us from all over the world. 
 
Rabbi’s Recommendation
 
Here is something a little lighter - it made me laugh and smile all day when a friend sent it to me on Wednesday. It kind of reminded me of the singing at Shaare Tefilla!
 
Shabbat Shalom,
 
 
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

Thank you all so much for creating a truly uplifting Yom Kippur (which seems like ages ago) and a really special first days of Sukkot. So many people came together to make Sukkot happen that if I listed them by name I would inadvertently omit someone’s name, but all of you are included in this week’s Hakarat HaTov Corner.

Erev Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot is a special time in the Rackovsky family calendar, because it was on that day, six years ago, that we celebrated Avremi’s bris in the Shaare Tefilla Sukkah, just a month and a half after we arrived in Dallas. We still talk about the outpouring of love that we received then, and continue to receive now, and how blessed we are that Avremi and his siblings get to grow up in this community. This year, Erev Shabbat Chol Hamoed coincides with Jessica’s secular birthday, and Shabbat Chol Hamoed itself coincides with Avremi’s secular birthday. 

Rabbi’s Recommendations

One of the hallmarks of Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot is that we read the book of Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes- one of the more complicated and mysterious books in Tanach. Probably the most famous section of Kohelet is the beginning of the third chapter. It was popularized, and slightly emended, by legendary folk singer Pete Seeger in the form of the song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Seeger stated in an interview that his addition of six words is what he felt gave him permission to keep more than 50% of the revenue from the song. It is worth noting that his choice to donate 45% of the proceeds for this song, to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, was a sign of his complicated relationship with Israel. 

In 1965, it was covered by The Byrds, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. This song has the distinction of being the best selling song with the oldest lyrics, and the best selling popular song based on or directly taken from the Bible.
 
For a fascinating read on Kohelet, please read this piece, by my friend (and former Shaare Tefilla Scholar in Residence) Dr. Elana Stein Hain of the Shalom Hartman Institute.

Finally, I just finished the book High Conflict by Amanda Ripley. There is a lot in it that is really profound, and especially appropriate for the season of repentance and personal introspection. I look forward to sharing with you what I learned, and recommend that everyone read it themselves. 

Shabbat Shalom and Moadim Lesimcha,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

As we enter the Yamim Noraim season in earnest, I have been spending time reviewing the text and the tunes for the services I will, with God’s help, have the privilege of leading once again. Every Chazzan’s nussach (musical modes) and repertoire is influenced by those he heard over the years, so this week’s Hakarat HaTov corner acknowledges the Chazzanim I was privileged to officiate with, or learn from in various capacities over the years.

Alan Levy, the baal tefilla for many decades at Congregation Beth Hakneses HaChodosh in Rochester, New York. Anyone who grew up in our shul in Rochester in the late 80’s and the 90’s recalls with fondness and a wistful smile the old Chassidic tune he used for “Ein Kitzvah” that sounded uncannily like “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad.” (In later years, he switched to the more popular tune from the Modzitz Chassidus, the one we use at Shaare Tefilla.) The nussach I use for the Hineni prayer is a close paraphrase of his. 


Rav Dr. Raphael Binyamin Posen zt”l (1942-2016) and, lehavdil bein chaim lechaim, Dayan Binyamin Be’eri- Rav Posen, also known in the Yeshiva as Chazzan Posen, was a graduate of Yeshivat Kerem BeYavneh in its early years, a revered educator and the acknowledged world expert in the translation and commentary of Onkelos. Dayan Be’eri is the former Av Beit Din of Ashkelon, now a member of the Beit Din Hagadol, the senior Rabbinical court in Israel. For years, he taught at Yeshivat Kerem BeYavneh, on whose campus he still lives. 

During my time in the Yeshiva, Dayan Be’eri and Chazzan Posen and Dayan were the chazzanim for Shacharit and mussaf respectively; since Rav Posen’s passing, Dayan Be’eri leads mussaf. Neither Chazzan Posen nor Dayan Be’eri had or have classically beautiful voices, but their davening remains unforgettable- a mix of tunes from the Bnei Akiva, Chassidic, Yeshivish and German communities conveyed with intense feeling. Davening started at the Yeshiva at 7 AM on Rosh Hashanah and ended at 2:30, and I always felt like I could go on. For a playlist of the Yamim Noraim tunes at Kerem BeYavneh, led by Chazzan Posen, click here.
 
Simcha Leiner- the well-known singer is also an outstanding Chazzan, a consummate baal nussach and a good friend. I had the honor of having him as my baal mussaf for several years at the Irving Place Minyan. 

Cantor Sherwood Goffin z”l and lehavdil bein chaim lechaim, Cantors Asher Hainovitz and Naftali Herstik- The late Cantor of the Lincoln Square Synagogue, the Chazzan of the Yeshurun Central Synagogue and the Cantor Emeritus of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, respectively. Over the years, I was blessed to develop a connection with Cantor Goffin, who provided me with pointers on nussach, which supplemented the authoritative Nussach CD’s put out by Cantor Hainovitz that I learned from. I also benefitted from Cantor Herstik’s influence and artistry and use some of his ideas as well. 

I want to thank everyone who attended our Soulful Selichot and especially those who sang along and made it so special. I can’t wait for a meaningful and tuneful Yamim Noraim season together- let us sing our way into the book of life, and may our voices next year be unmasked!

Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tovah,
​​​​​​​
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

This week’s Rabbi’s Resources will be one large Hakarat HaTov Corner. This Shabbat is the last one that Miriam and Paul Geller will be spending as residents of Dallas, before they make Aliyah on Monday.

It is hard to put into words properly what Miriam and Paul have meant to our shul, and our community. Miriam’s face has been the one that greeted our children every Shabbat but also kept them in line, with a wide smile, deep kindness and no-nonsense attitude. She deeply loves the children at Shaare, and understands them- and they love her in return. She has also been at the forefront of increasing inclusivity at Shaare, as she oversaw our partnership with Yachad over the years. Paul has been a pillar of Shaare for decades- as a Gabbai, as a minyannaire, as a participant in classes of all kinds and as a person who is ready to volunteer for anything and everything. Together, they have raised their beautiful family in our community, and their children Molly Rosenberg, Sophie Herskowitz and Ari are part of the rich tapestry of what it meant to grow up in Shaare Tefilla. Each of their children is a deeply committed Jew who is an integral asset to their communities and the Jewish people, and who all laid the groundwork for their parents’ move to Israel.

Whenever a family from Shaare makes aliyah, it’s a loss for our community, but also a source of joy, as they fulfill the destiny of every Jew and go to where the Jewish future is unfolding. We wish them every success and happiness as they actualize their dreams, and look forward to seeing them in Israel soon!

Rabbi’s Recommendation
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This is the final Selichot service that Lord Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks officiated, in 2019, before COVID and his passing. It was led by Chazzanim Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld and Johnny Turgel and the Shabbaton Choir, at the 130 year old Hampstead Synagogue.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

This Shabbat begins one of my favorite times of the year. The heaviness of the three weeks, Nine Days and Tish’a B’Av are behind us, the seriousness of Elul is still a few weeks away and there is a lightness and optimism in the air. For the next seven weeks, taking us through Rosh Hashanah, all the Haftarot deal with joyous themes of consolation. In Rabbinic parlance, they are known as the Shiv’a DeNechemta, the seven Haftarot of comfort. All of them, without exception, are taken from the book of Isaiah, or Yeshayahu (or Yeshaya). In our house, we call these weeks the Shaya DeNechemta! 

Hakarat HaTov Corner

I already thanked in advance those who made Tisha B’Av a thoughtful and meaningful day, but I would be remiss if I didn’t express gratitude to the other local Rabbis and teachers who made the Tisha B’Av Teach In such a special experience: Mrs. Chana Ben Abraham, Rabbi Aryeh Feigenbaum, Rabbi Peretz Shapiro, Rabbi Avi Pekier and Rabbi Moshe Segal. A special thanks to all those who attended over the course of the afternoon. 

Rabbi’s Resources will be on a brief hiatus for the next few weeks, until Friday, August 13, 2021 (5 Elul, 5781). I began this project as a way of communicating with the shul when we were shut down during the pandemic, continued it as we began to reopen and then realized that I enjoyed it even now that we have, thank God, resumed normal activity. I’d love to hear from you- whether you enjoy these letters and found them enriching, whether you agree or disagree with something I wrote or whether you appreciate the articles and music I love sharing. I look forward to resuming in a few weeks’ time!

Rabbi’s Recommendations

1. George Frederick Handel’s (1685-1759) Oratorio “Messiah” is usually associated with the December holiday season, though it was actually composed for performance at Easter time. Of course, the Messiah being described in the title is antithetical to our concept of Messiah. Indeed, one prominent scholar, Michael Marrissen, has suggested in several places that this Oratorio has distinctinctly anti-Jewish overtones. For those interested in learning more, he expanded his views into a book called Tainted Glory In Handel’s Messiah.

While many passages are taken out of the New Testament, and those from the Old Testament are taken out of context, the music is sublime (it is often said that music cannot become tamei- ritually impure)- and some of the most memorable passages are taken from Isaiah chapter 40- this week’s Haftarah:

Comfort ye my people...every valley shall be exalted (Isaiah 40:1-4)

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed (Isaiah 40:5)

2. There has been a great deal of discussion about the new show “My Unorthodox Life” (no link- you’ve either seen it or definitely won’t…) In the aftermath, a popular social media personality named Alexandra Fleksher mobilized Orthodox women to write about their Orthodox Jewish life. Journalist Tzippy Yarom-Diskind collected these responses into a website. On the other hand, several formerly Orthodox Jews, like Professor Dainy Bernstein, penned responses, as did a  woman named Malka Svei, who is the granddaughter of a revered Rosh Yeshiva in the American Chareidi community and grew up in it, and now identifies as Modern Orthodox. 

Shabbat Nachamu Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

At the beginning of 5781, I sent out a list of fascinating facts about this year’s unique calendar, including many events that haven’t happened in 13 years, including Purim on Friday and Erev Pesach on Shabbat. One fact I neglected to mention was that, for the first time in 13 years, Rosh Chodesh Av falls on Shabbat. This means that Tisha B’Av will actually be on Sunday, as opposed to the far more common occurrence, in which Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbat and is delayed (nidecheh) to Sunday. 

This also provides a fascinating answer to a Torah Trivia Question. In this week’s Torah reading (Bemibar 33:38), we read about Aharon’s death on the 1st day of the 5th month- the month now known as Av. If anyone asks you  "What is the only date in the Torah that can be read on that date (as part of the regular Shabbat Torah reading)?" It is this Shabbat (this does not count Torah readings of the Yamim Tovim, which often mention the date of the Yom Tov). 

The Torah reading of Matot-Mas'ei + Rosh Chodesh is also the longest possible Torah reading, as measured in number of verses (251 verses). This Torah reading can only happen in *non-leap* years when Rosh Chodesh Av falls on Shabbat, because in leap years with this configuration, Matot and Mas'ei are separated. We haven’t had this configuration since 2001- but all the above will happen again in 2025! 
 
For more fascinating Hebrew calendar facts, and much of the above information in its original context, see here.
 
Hakarat HaTov Corner
 
I am grateful to Ari Reubin for sharing a milestone Torah achievement with me this week. Ari finished Tractate Taanit after five years of weekly study with Rabbi Hillel Muller and made a SIyum on July 4. His dedication to Torah learning is inspiring- consistency and dedication are the key to success in acquiring Torah and I hope everyone will be inspired by his example. 
 
I am also grateful for the participants in the daily Daf Yomi study, who have completed Masechet Yoma and will begin Masechet Sukkah tomorrow, Friday, July 9. This is a wonderful opportunity to jump on board and complete seven masechtot of Talmud in eight months-Join us daily at 6 AM at Shaare Tefilla! 
 
Rabbi’s Recommendations

1. This piece by Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, who was a virtual guest of ours last year, is a fascinating perspective on the masechta we just finished in the Daf Yomi. 

2. An interview with Eli Stefansky , a businessman and Daf Yomi teacher who has created a diverse virtual and personal community around the study of Daf Yomi.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

As you know, an apartment building in Surfside, Florida partially collapsed, injuring many and killing one as of this writing. Please daven for the following people who are still unaccounted for,  again, as of this writing, and for the many others who have been affected by this disaster:

Moshe Ben Tova
Moshe Ben Shoshana
Arie Leib Ben Ita
Chaim ben Sara
Malka bas Sara Rochel
Yisroel Tzvi Yosef ben Toiba
Tzvi Doniel ben Yehudis
Ita bas Miriam
Feiga Rivka

Lein ben Ilana
Yehuda Arye Leib Ben Feiga Rivka
Ruth bat Sarah
Ilan Ben Kalma
Devorah bat Clara
Deborah bat haia
Ilan ben Kalman
Nancy bat Sofia
Franky ben Nancy
Jay Ben Nancy

Hakarat HaTov

I am deeply thankful to Hashem that my sister and brother in law, Lauren and Rabbi Dr. Yonah Bardos and their children, who live a few buildings away from the collapsed building, are safe. I am especially grateful that they are on the scene helping with rescue efforts, identification and taking care of the families of those who are injured or unidentified. 

Rabbi’s Recommendations
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3. This week’s parsha contains Bilaam’s inadvertent blessings of the Jewish people- Bemidbar 24:5-  
מַה־טֹּ֥בוּ אֹהָלֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֑ב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ 
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!

This setting , by the Neginah Orchestra, is one of the best known (track 2).

Sincerely,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

We are looking forward to sharing the simcha of this week’s kiddush with you, in honor of our daughter Tzivie. Instead of expressing gratitude in a written Hakarat HaTov corner, we look forward to expressing it in person in our remarks after davening on Shabbat morning. We hope you can join us!

Rabbi’s Recommendations

Sunday, the third of Tammuz, is the yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory. Aside from the countless hours of footage of the Rebbe for viewing and his voluminous writings, which of course are worth exploring in depth, there are some excellent biographies of the Rebbe as well. The one I enjoyed the most was Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s book Rebbe; while it is a biography, it is also unapologetically favorably biased, containing many important life lessons from the Rebbe’s personal conduct, his manner of leadership and his care for every Jew.
 
One of the areas the Rebbe was most careful of was in his speech- he refused to use any phrases that had inherently negative connotations. A hospital, for example, was not a Beit Cholim, or a house of the ill, but a Beit HaRefuah, a house of healing. I am in the middle of this book- The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It . In light of my remarks last week in shul about optimism and pessimism, and the Rebbe’s example, I’ve found this book to be especially illuminating. 

Finally, watch a video of the Rebbe singing a niggun that he composed , to the words from Psalm 62:2-3. 

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You; as one in a desolate and dry land without water, so I thirst to behold You in the Sanctuary, to behold Your might and glory." (Psalms 63:2, 3). 

This niggun is one that Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l called one of his “desert island” pieces of music. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom!

Sincerely,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,

On Thursday, June 7, 2012 - the day after Jessica’s residency graduation, which she attended while experiencing contractions- Shaya was born. On the Hebrew calendar, that da​​​​​​​te was the 17 of Sivan, corresponding to tomorrow, Friday, May 28. I am full of Hakarat HaTov to Hashem for the wonderful gifts he has bestowed upon us, and that Shaya, our bechor, was the first of them. May we continue to see him grow and attain his maximum potential as the special person he is, as a servant of Hashem and as a ben Torah!

Rabbi’s Recommendation

This year marks the 200th Birthday of Louis Lewandowski (1821-1894), the musical director of the Neue Synagogue in Berlin (more on him here ). Lewanowski composed melodies for virtually every part of the Tefillah, and had many students who became prominent choirmasters and cantors throughout Germany and Eastern Europe. To  While his settings were fo​​​​​​​r mixed choir, they have often been rearranged for male choir and are actually sung in many congregations, of all denominations, even without a choir present. Examples of his melodies that have become ubiquitous include “Tzaddik KaTamar” (performed by the choir of the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute) sung throughout the world on Friday nights, and “Zacharti Lach” for Rosh Hashanah (sung by the incomparable Cantor Johnny Gluck z”l- 1948-1984) and Mah Tovu (performed by the Basel Synagogue Choir of Switzerland).

A few weeks ago, I spoke about Dave Sterling and his visit to Shaare Tefilla, and how Dave was especially impressed with the service of returning the Torah. This week’s Parsha contains the opening phrase of this beautiful Tefillah (Numbers 10:36) -
                                                                וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה ה' רִֽבְב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
And when it (the ark) halted, he would say: Return, O LORD, You who are Israel’s myriads of thousands!

Of the many liturgical settings of this prayer, few capture the grandeur of this moment like Lewandowski’s. Whenever I visited my grandparents in Jerusalem, I would go on Shabbat mornings to the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, in large part in the hopes that Chazzan Naftali Hershtik, may he live and be well, would be including it in his repertoire that morning. His falsetto repetition of the final line- השיבנו ה אליך ונשובה - was both electrifying and deeply moving. His son, my good friend Chazzan Netanel Hershtik of The Hampton Synagogue, carries on his father’s tradition of excellence. Please take five minutes and listen to his rendition; you won’t regret it!

Shabbat Shalom!


Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky

Dear Shaare Family,
 
Some of you may have seen the following on my Facebook page, but I think it is worth sharing for those who didn’t as well:
 
I didn't know Donny Morris z"l, but I can assert that, based on the remarkable eulogies delivered about him, the apple doesn't fall far from a beautiful tree.
As a child, whenever my grandparents would come visit for Pesach, we always looked forward to special guests coming from down the street to visit- Mrs. Marion and Rabbi David L. Silver z"l, the legendary Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Harrisburg, PA for over 50 years. Rabbi Silver was my grandfather Rabbi Dr. Isaiah Rackovsky z"l's best friend. I loved to listen to the stories they told about Rabbi Silver's father Rav Eliezer Silver, and about the old days of the American Rabbinate. Rabbi Silver came to visit his family in Rochester, the Morrises.

Growing up in Rochester, the Morris family were pillars of the community, people completely dedicated to their shul, their community and their amazing family. I am in between Aryeh Morris- Donny’s father- and his uncle Rabbi Shalom Morris in age and proud to call them both good friends; Shalom and I were roommates in YU and then in Riverdale, and Assistant Rabbis at the same time in different shuls on the Upper West Side (he is now Rabbi of the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London). Their older brother,  Rabbi Yechiel Morris of the Young Israel of Southfield, MI, is several years older than me and someone I looked up to then as I do now- in part, his example was a reason I learned at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh. At KBY,  I had the great privilege of learning under their uncle, Rav Ahron Silver shlit"a, who remains a formative influence on my life. About a year and a half ago, I ran into Aryeh and Shalom in Yerushalaim together with Donny, who I hadn't seen since he was a baby, and who was in Israel checking out yeshivot.

34,000 people watched the funeral for Donny Morris z"l on Sunday; several thousand more participated in person, including a number of Dallasites learning in Israel for the year or who have made aliyah. Donny was all of our son. It is easier to feel a tragedy like this when there is a personal connection, however tenuous it may be- or to personalize it when there is none. When that connection goes back three generations, as it does for me, it is all the more difficult to bear. As I said last Shabbat in shul, Donny was the best of us. He was kind and considerate of others, especially those he didn’t know, and consciously worked on his character to continue to be a better person.  He was a spiritual striver, trying to better himself and grow closer to Hashem at every possible opportunity. He was a diligent student of Torah, whose schedule accounted for every minute of the day. He was not just the kind of son any parent would be proud to raise, but the kind of young man every community must do whatever it can to produce.
May he intercede on our behalf on high, as his soul continues to ascend to the spheres of holiness for which it desperately yearned.
 
 
Hakarat HaTov Corner

Shaare Tefilla is blessed to have minyanim daily that serves travelers from all over the world (which means that when we don't get a minyan, we let down travelers from all over the world...). This week, a gentleman named Ephraim Seif, who has visited our community several times, found himself without his Tefillin, and borrowed our spare pair. Seeing that they could use some attention, he took them back to Rabbi Akiva Oppen, a Sofer in the Five Towns where he lives, and donated the checking and repair of the Tefillin to the shul as a gesture of gratitude for having them available when he needed them!

Rabbi’s Recommendations- Yom Yerushalaim

1. A must read- Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm’s address to college youth
   on the occasion of the first Yom Yerushalaim in 1968.
2. ​​​​​​​This is my class from last year about Jerusalem’s iconic Hurvah Shul, which played a critical role in the settlement of the Old City and, in its rebuilding, is a sign of the continued blossoming of Jewish life in it. My great-grandparents got married in its courtyard!
   
3. The members of the group Dveykus- Abie Rottenberg, Yussi Sonnenblick and Dr. Elli Kranzler- sing their famous composition “Veliyerushalaim,” a setting of the 14th blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky