Our annual all star celebration of the Shabbat and the Fourth of July begins this evening at 8:00 pm in the Garfein Wing. A Chorus of thousands under the able direction of Ernie Ratowitz and Carole Fefferman will lead us in prayer, song and festivities, with lots of appropriate desserts, as with everything else this evening, in Red, White, Blue and a little Jewish flavor.
Tomorrow’s Shabbat morning’s service, will begin at 10:00 am in the Garfein Wing, and will be conducted by David Epstein. Niki Cummings will be the Cantorial Soloist.
The Parsha is Chukat, Numbers 19:1 - 22:1. We begin with the mysteries of the perfect Red Heiffer, sacrified and burned to an ash that makes the impure pure and vice versa. The Israelites then traveled to Kadesh in the the desert of Zinn, where Miriam died and was buried there. The masses began to complain again, this time because there was no water. G-d told Moses to speak to a rock to get some water for the people. A little provoked by the complaints, Moses hit the rock. The waster came, but G-d punished Moses for the transgression by banning Moses from entering the promised land.
Next, the Israelites came to the country of Edom and Moses asked permission to take the group through Edom, paying for any damages they may cause. Edom refused permission and they went around Edom. The got Mount Hor, where Aaron died, after Moses stripped him of his garments and turned them over to Aaron’s son Eleazer. The Israelites then continued on their journey, but fighting, rather than avoiding, a variety of kingdoms, and winning, with the assistance of G-d.
The Haftarah is Judges 11:1 -33
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