Shabbat Shalom - 22 Sh’vat

This evening’s Family Erev Shabbat service, conducted by Rabbi Dreyfus, will begin at 7:30 PM. Music will be provided by Nancy Friedman and the Youth Choir. Birthday blessings will be given to children with birthdays in the Month of February.

Tomorrow morning’s Shabbat Service, conducted by Rabbi Dreyfus, will begin at 10:00 AM. Barry Bayer will be the Cantorial Soloist.

This week’s Parsha is Yitro, Exodous 18:1 - 20:23. Of course, all parts of the Torah are important, but this one is really important. Moses, with his wife and son’s visit with Yitro (Jethro), his father-in-law. Yitro is impressed with the activities of his son-in-law’s G-d, but is less impressed with the way that Moses sits in judgment of everything, micro-managing the activities of all of the tribes. Perhaps the first management consultant in recorded history, Yitro suggests that Moses delegate decisions as to the routine cases to “able and God-fearing men, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain. . .” and decide only the most difficult cases himself. Moses decided that was a good idea and did as Yitro had suggested.
Then, the Israelites go off to Mt Sinai, where, admidst clouds, and lightening and thunder and much trepidation over several days, G-d issues the Aseret HaDibrot, the 10 words or utterances, sometimes known as the Ten Commandments.