Dear Friends,
Shabbat is coming! I look forward to seeing you this week as follows:
- Friday night at the Levy home, 6.30PM, followed by a provided hot dinner.
- Saturday evening at the Levy home, 5.00PM: Havdallah, followed by a provided hot dinner, followed by an enjoyable film (Frisco Kid starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford), followed by Selichot prayers.
(Reminder: No Shabbat morning program; see full schedule below.)
- In both cases, we ask for a donation of $15 for each adult attending. If you have become a member, we of course want you to attend, with your family members and guests, without any additional donation.
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Here again is the schedule for theis month and early October; please mark your calendars accordingly and feel free to share this information with people you know who would like to celebrate the festivals but don't know where to go:
Friday 4 September Shabbat evening service and dinner, 6.30PM, Levy home
Saturday, 5 September Havdallah, dinner, movie (The Frisco Kid) and Selichot service, 5.00PM, Levy home (Note: no Shabbat morning service this week)
Friday, 11 September Shabbat evening service and dinner, 6.30PM, Levy home
(Note: no Shabbat morning service on Saturday, 12 September)
Sunday, 13 September Rosh Hashanah Seder and dinner, 6.00PM, QCWA Hall Southport. BOOKINGS A MUST FOR THIS EVENT.
Monday, 14 September Rosh Hashanah Morning service, 10.00AM, QCWA Hall Southport
Friday, 18 September Shabbat evening service and dinner, 6.30PM, Levy home
(Note: no Shabbat morning service Saturday, 19 September)
Tuesday, 22 September Yom Kippur evening service, 7.00PM, QCWA Hall, Southport
Wednesday, 23 September Yom Kippur afternoon/memorial/closing service, starts 2.00PM, QCWA Hall, Southport. Break-the-fast, after conclusion of services, Levy home. (BOOKINGS A MUST FOR BREAK-THE-FAST.)
Friday, 25 September Shabbat evening service and dinner, 6.30PM, Levy home
(Note: no Shabbt morning service Saturday, 26 September)
Sunday, 27 September Sukkot evening service and dinner, 6.00PM, Paul Corias' home
Friday, 2 October Shabbat evening service and dinner, 6.30PM, location TBA
(Note: no Shabbat morning service Saturday 3 October)
Sunday, 4 October Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah evening service, 6.00PM, Paul Corias' home
In other words, there are extra services during September and October for the various Holy days...and Saturdya morning Shabbat services are cancelled in September and through the first Saturday in October. After 4 October, the schedule will return to normal.
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Let's return to our series of Weekly Thoughts based on the teachings of the Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan who is considered the foremost Jewish authority ever to write and expound on the Laws of Shemirat Lashon: permitted and prohibited speech. As you know by now, these laws forbid conveying any derogatory information to one person about a third person, except in extremely limited circumstances. This includes even if the derogatory information is certifiably true! Our tradition refers to this kind of communication as Lashon Hara (evil speak) or Rechilut (Gossip). Very rare is the person who does not fall for the temptation to engage in these sins; therefore, they are worth discussing over and over and over. We all need to be aware of the problem, understand WHY it's a problem, and be ready to encourage and uplift one another as we endeavour to rid our communities of the practice.
Therefore, this week I would like to address one's responsibility to not allow another person to use you as a sounding board for Lashon Hara. Time after time, people tell me that So-and-so told them Such-and-such about a second So-and-so. And I'll ask them: "Did you tell (this first) So-and-so that it is wrong to repeat such information and that they should cease the practice?" And usually, the answer is "No." And the reason varies. Sometime, the received of the information just got caught up in the moment and wanted to hear the gossip. Sometimes, they were too timid to speak up. But in either case, they were not thinking clearly. Because had they been, they would have realised that allowing someone to gossip unchallenged is simply an invitation for the gossip to continue.
The Chofets Chayim therefor instructs us that it is not enough to hear the Lashon Hara and then try to put it out of your mind. Rather, it is iportant to challenge the conveyer about what they're doing and wy it is wrong. This correction need not - actually SHOULD not - be delivered in a spirit of 'gotcha' or self-righeousness. We all know how easy it is to succumb to this pitfall because we all HAVE. We should correct one another in a spirit of love and concern. But we should correct one another. Because that's how we help one another to live In The Image of G-d. Something to think about...
I pray that everybody is well and having a great week and look forward to seeing you on Shabbat and beyond!
Rabbi Don
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