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MONUM
Synagogue calendar
CarvMelighting: Friday, July 12,
After 7:36 p.m., before 8:57p.m.
Sedra MatotlMasai
Havdala Sfiabbcd ends
July 13,10:05 p.m.
Friday, July 19,
After 7:31 p.m., before 8:51 p.m.
Shabbat Chazon
Sedra Devarim
Havdala Shabbat ends
July 20, 9:57p.m.
BellinghamEytzChaim <^
(Conservative), 2116 Walnut St., Bellingham. Second and fourth Fri. of each month,
8 p.m. (360) 671-7011
Beth Hamidrash (Sephardic Orthodox), 3231 Heather St. Rabbi Y. Benarroch. Daily, 7 a.m. Shabbat, 9 a.m.; Sun. and public holidays, 8:30 a.m., Fri. 7 p.m. Sat., sunset. 872-4222 or 873-2371.
Beth Israel
(Conservative), 4350 Oak St. Rabbi W. Solomon. Torah reader D. Rubin. Choir S. Pelman. Daily, 8 a.m. (public holidays, 9 a.m.) and 6 p.m. Fri., 8:15 p.m.; Sat., 9:15 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Sun.,
9 a.m. and 6 p.m. 731-4161.
Beth Shalom Sanctuary
(Traditional) OJCC, 108 North Glenmore Rd., Kelowna. Shabbat service last Sat. of month, 9:30 a.m. 862-2305.
BethTlkvah <^
(Conservative), 9711 Geal Rd. Richmond. Rabbi M. Cohen, Torah reader E. Wolinsky and J. Berger. Fri., 8 p.m. and Sat., 9:30 a.m. 271-6262.
Burquest Jewish Community b.
(Traditional) Oneg Shabbat services second Fri. of each month, 8 p.m. 526-7235.
Chabad-Lubavltch ^
(Chassidic). 5750 Oak St. Rabbi Y. Wineberg. Daily, 7 a.m. and sunset; Sat., 10 a.m.; Sun., 9 a.m. 266-1313.
EltzChalm ^
(Orthodox) 8080 Frances Rd. Richmond. Rabbi A Feigelstock. Daily minyan, 7 a.m.; Fri., sunset; Sat., 9 a.m. and sunset; Sun., 9 a.m. 275-0007.
Emanu-EI 6-
(Conservative), 1461 Blan-shard, Victoria. Rabbi V. Re-instein. Thur., 7 a.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. 382-0615.
HarEI
(Conservative) North Shore, JCC, 1735 Inglewood Ave., West Van. Rabbi I. Balla, Cantor R. Edel, Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. 922-8245 or 922-9133.
Jewish Community Assoc. of Lower Eraser Valley
(Orthodox), #1 -1349 Johnston Rd., White Rock. Fri., sunset; Sat., 9:30 a.m. 535-3251.
Louis Brier Home ^
(Orthodox) 1055 W. 41st Ave. C. Komfeld, D. Komfeld, R. Rosenberg. Daily mincha, 4:30 p.m. Fri., 4:15 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. 261-9376.
Or Shalom
(Jewish Renewal) 710 E. 10th Ave. Rabbi D. Mivasair. Wed., 7 a.m.; Family Kabbalat Shabbat and potluck dinner once a month, 6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.
872- 1614.
SchaareTzlon
(Orthodox) 8360 St. Albans Rd., Richmond. Minyan, Mon. and Thur., 7 a.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.; Sat., 9:30 a.m. 272-2113.
ScharaTzedeck ^
(Orthodox) 3476 Oak St. Rabbi M. Feuerstein, Cantor Y. Orzech, Torah reader Rev. J. Marciano. Mon. and Thur., 7 a.m.. Tue., Wed. and Fri., 7:15 a.m.; weekdays, sunset; Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. and half-hour before sunset; Sun., 8:30 a.m. 736-7607.
ShaareyTefllah ^
(Traditional), 785 West 16th Ave., Torah reader Rabbi I. Bimbau. Fri., eve. (call for time); Sat. and Sun., 9 a.m.
873- 2700.
Temple Sholom
(Reform) 7190 Oak St. Rabbi P. Bregman, cantorial soloist A. Guttman. Morning minyans; Mon. and Wed., 7:15 a.m.; Fri., 8:15 p.m.; Sat, 10:00 a.m. 266-7190.
White Rocl(/South Surrey Jewish Community Centre
Monthly Shabbat services. Box 75186, White Rock, B.C. V4A9N4. 541-9995.
A person-to-God call
Moses was a direct instrument of divine plan.
RABBI SHLOIMO RISKIN TORAH COLUMNIST
Matot • Maasei Numbers 30:2 - 36:13
Efrat
How was Moses different from the many other prophets recorded in the biblical tradition? The opening verse in the first half of this week's double-portion of Matot-Maasei may well provide us with an important insight concerning this issue. We read, "And Moses spoke unto the tribes of the children of Israel saying: 'This is the thing [zeh hadavar] which God has commanded. When a man vows a vow unto God'..." [Num.30:2-3].
In his commentary, Rashi cites a Midrash (Sifrei, B.T. Nedarim 77) which makes the distinction that the expression "zeh hadavar asher tzivah haShem" (This is the thing which God has commanded) is imique to Moses and represents his additional and superior prophetic status.
One of the most important super commentaries, or commentaries on the primary commentary Rashi, Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi, the R'em (1448-1526, chief rabbi of Constantinople), suggests the phrase "koh amar haShem" (Thus God spoke...) expresses the intention or the essence of the vision though not necessarily the vision itself. The other prophets only see "through a glass darkly" (as-paklarya sh'ainah me'irah). On the other hand, Moses' prophecy is through "...a glass brightly" (aspaklarya me'irah). Therefore he had the power to express precisely what was given to his eye or communicated to his mind, word for word.
In Emek HaNetziv, the classic commentary on the Sifri written by Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (1817-93), he explains that what makes the prophecy of Moses unique lies in the fact that he communicated the divine word immediately upon having received it.
Rabbi ShIomoRlskin is
rabbi of the city of Efrat, Israel and dean ofOhr Torah Institutions in Israel.
whereas the other prophets could only present their message after a period of time. The prophetic state had a paralyzing and debilitating effect on the other prophets, weakening their physical conditions, while Moses received the godly message naturally without the requirement of time for recuperation.
The commentary of Rabbi Yitzhak Zev Soloveitchik {Hidushei HaGryz) also touches on our interpretation. When the Almighty attempts to convince Moses to accept the responsibility of Jewish leadership, he is hard to convince. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should being forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" [Ex. 3:11]. But God counters Moses' resistance: "Certainly I will be with you." [Ex. 3:12].
The real significance of this dialogue is Moses questioning the efficacy of human involvement in what He thinks ought be a divine mission. The divine response "I will be with you" is God's explanation that, indeed. He wiU act as the redeemer, but that He acts through human instruments. Hence, God, must insist that He and Moses go to the Pharaoh and redeem Israel together.
Herein lies the truest distinction between Moses and the other prophets. The other prophets succeeded in receiving and transmitting a divine message while Moses succeeded in carrying out the divine will, in living a life and doing deeds which were the human extension of the divine plan.
Human beings have the power to alter reality by their oaths and words (Numbers 30). The realm of oaths and promises points out the almost godlike powers of human beings. The most exalted goal of every person is to become a vehicle for the expression of divine will.
Moses' physical being, Moses' every act, was an extension of the divine. Moses is therefore the greatest of all prophets and the highest human achievement of Jewdsh history. □