Parshat Eikev July 31, 2010 20Av 5770

Torah The One Who feeds you manna in the desert...in order to test you. (Devarim 8:16)
Artscroll, 980
Hertz, 780 Everyone knows would consider it a what kind of test this
Haftorah that life is a test. blessing. The Torah, is. What could be
Artscroll, 1197 We struggle to however, seems to say better than having
Hertz, 794
make a living, to otherwise. No sooner everything you need
raise our children, had the Jewish people delivered to your
to build up our come forth from Egypt doorstep every day?
communities. that they complained This is a test? This
Nothing comes (Shemos 16:3), "If only is a blessing!
Times easy, and our test we had died by the
is to deal with the hand of God in the land Rashi explains that
Candle Lighting 7:54 pm
hardships and of Egypt when we were Hashem was
Friday Mincha 7.00 pm frustrations in the sitting beside the referring to the laws
Hashkama 8:00 am best way possible. fleshpots, when we ate that govern the
our fill of bread; now manna. One could
Youth 8:30 am But what if our you have brought us not store away any
Main Minyan 9:00 am livelihood were out into the desert to let manna for the next
served up to us on the entire congregation day. One had to
Beith Midrash 9:15 am
a silver platter? starve to death." collect a double
Gemorah Shiur 6:45 pm How wonderful that portion on Friday.
Mincha 7:45 pm would be! No more "Behold, I will rain down And so forth. This
worries about how bread from the heavens was the test. Would
Shabbat Ends 9:01 pm
to pay for the on you," Hashem the Jewish people
Sunday 7:30/8:30 am children's tuition or replied (ibid. 16:4). "The observe the laws of
the new roof. What people shall go out to the manna
Mon, Thurs. 6:35/7:45 am if everything we collect their daily scrupulously?
needed came to us portion every day, in
Tues,Wed, Fri, 6:45 am like manna from order to test whether or This test is also
Mincha Sun-Thur 7:50 pm heaven? Would we not they will follow My mentioned in
consider this a Torah." The Parashas Eikev,
Latest times for test? Hardly. We commentators wonder "The One Who
Shema/Shmoneh Esrei

July 31 9:25/10:37 am

August 7 9:28/10:39 am KIDDUSH IS Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by

SPONSORED BY Pam & Jeff Bilfeld
Next Shabbat – Re-eh in memory of his mother
GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE
Florence Bilfeld, z”l.
Candle lighting 7:47 pm

Mincha 7:00 pm
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Parshat Eikev 5770

when people face troubles, sickness or

feeds you manna in the desert...in order to
mortal danger, Heaven forbid, they all
test you." Sforno explains that the test is to
become religious. They all come to shul.
see if the Jews would still follow the Torah
They pray fervently. They say Tehillim with
when they do not have to worry about their
tears streaming down their cheeks. They give
livelihood.
charity generously. But when things are
going well, when they are going wonderfully,
Yes, there is a great test in "bread raining
do they give much thought to the Almighty?
down from heaven." Affluence without
This is the test of the manna.
effort is a dangerous thing. It comes with a
great amount of leisure time and freedom
of action. What do we do with that leisure
time and that freedom of action? Do we
use our leisure time and freedom of action
to taste the forbidden? This is the great
test of the manna. We are all aware of the
test of poverty. We are all aware of the
trials and tribulations of being poor.
However, says Sforno, affluence also
comes with great temptations. It puts a
tremendous responsibility on a person.
This is the test of the manna, and it is the
test for many Jews in these affluent times.

The Chovos Halevavos writes in Shaar

Habitachon that one of the reasons people,
unlike birds and animals, must make a
great effort to earn their livelihood is to
control the yetzer hara. If we had too much
time on our hands, we would be unable to
resist the temptations he puts before us.
As it is, we are either too busy or too tired
most of the time. And even then it is a
struggle to resist temptation.

The Maggid of Mezritch once said that
Great Neck Synagogue
Shabbat Activities Program
Dale Polakoff, Rabbi
Shalom Axelrod, Assistant Rabbi
Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi Emeritus
Michael Bleicher, Rabbinic Intern
Zeev Kron, Cantor
Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus
Mark Twersky, Executive Director
Joseph Hecht, President
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
July 27, 2010 at 8:35 pm
(following Mincha at 8:00 pm)
Rabbi Baruch Simon
“Can’t We Just Eat: Laws of Blessing on Foods”
Rabbi Simon, the Colonel Jehiel R. Elyachar Professor of Talmud at the Yeshiva
Program/Mazer School of Talmudic Studies, received his semikha (rabbinic
ordination) from Yeshiva University’s affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological
Seminary (RIETS) in 1988. A graduate of Yeshiva University’s High School, Rabbi
Simon earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in Judaic Studies from Yeshiva College
Rabbi Simon was a fellow of the prestigious Caroline and Joseph Gruss Kollel Elyon
and a fellow of the Katz Kollel. Before teaching in the Yeshiva Program, Rabbi
Simon was a member of the Halakha faculty at the Isaac Breuer College of Hebraic
Studies at Yeshiva University.
Sally & S e y mi n A d u l t
ucationProgram
Sally & Seymour Olshin Adult Education
Great Neck Synagogue Summer Learning Program

Roshei Yeshiva Lecture Series

July 27, 2010 at 8:35 pm
(following Mincha at 8:00 pm)
Rabbi Baruch Simon
“Can’t We Just Eat: Laws of Blessing on Foods”
Rabbi Simon, the Colonel Jehiel R. Elyachar Professor of Talmud at the Yeshiva
Program/Mazer School of Talmudic Studies, received his semikha (rabbinic ordination)
from Yeshiva University’s affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) in
1988. A graduate of Yeshiva University’s High School, Rabbi Simon earned his B.A.,
magna cum laude, in Judaic Studies from Yeshiva College Rabbi Simon was a fellow of
the prestigious Caroline and Joseph Gruss Kollel Elyon and a fellow of the Katz Kollel.
Before teaching in the Yeshiva Program, Rabbi Simon was a member of the Halakha
faculty at the Isaac Breuer College of Hebraic Studies at Yeshiva University.
ally&SeymourOlshinAdult
EducationProgram
Great Neck Synagogue Summer Learning Program
Jewish Professional Lecture Series
August 10, 2010 at 8:15 pm
(following Mincha at 7:45 pm)
Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman
“If Maimonides was alive today:
Contemporay Medical Ethics Trough the Eyes of the Rambam”
Edward Reichman is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate
Professor of Philosophy and History of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of
Medicine (AECOM) of Yeshiva University, where he teaches Jewish medical ethics. He
received his rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of
Yeshiva University and writes and lectures widely in the field of Jewish
medical ethics. He is the recipient of a Kornfeld Foundation Fellowship and the
Rubinstein Prize in Medical Ethics. He is a past member of the advisory board of the
Institute for Genetics and Public Policy. His research is devoted to the interface of
medical history and Jewish law.

August 17, 2010 at 8:00 pm

(following Mincha at 7:35 pm)
Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine
“Love your neighbor as yourself and The market Place”
Aaron Levine is the Samson and Halina Bitensky Professor of Economics at Yeshiva
University. A Phi Beta Kappa at Brooklyn College, he earned his Ph.D. at New York
University. He was ordained in Jewish civil and ritual law at the Rabbi Jacob Joseph
School and is the spiritual leader of Brooklyn’s Young Israel of Ave. J.
A noted authority on Jewish commercial law, Professor Levine’s research specialty is
the interface between economics and Halakhah. He has published widely on these
issues, including five books and numerous monographs.

August 3, 2010 at 8:15 pm

(following Mincha at 7:45 pm)
Rabbi Yona Reiss
“Contemporay Conversion Concerns”
Rabbi Yona Reiss, a noted Torah scholar, attorney, and jurist, is the Max and Marion Grill
Dean of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Rabbi Reiss is a graduate of Yeshiva
College and Yale Law School, where he was senior editor of the Law Journal. He
received his rabbinic and Yadin Yadin ordination from RIETS. He served as director of
the Beth Din of America from 1998 to 2008. He is a member of the New York State Bar
Association, a certified mediator for the City of New York court system, and a member of
the Family and Divorce Mediation Council for New York. Rabbi Reiss serves on the editorial
board of Tradition magazine.
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
SISTERHOOD FALL CALENDER– SAVE THE DATE
Tuesday, October 26th – Annual Sisterhood Dinner at Chatanooga with
guest speaker Slovie Jungreiss Wolff, daughter of Rebbetzin Esther
Jungreiss and author of “ Raising a Child With Soul.” Thank you to
co-chairs Judy Lillien and Anne Sandler for organizing this event.
Saturday evening, November 20th-Sisterhood Dinner-Go-Round
organized by Susan Mayer. Details to follow.
November Chanukah Boutique organized by Lisa Kagan. Details to
follow.
BIKUR CHOLIM
Please notify the office if anyone is in the hospital. We will notify
Bikur Cholim for you.
SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM
The Summer Learning Program will have it’s next program on
Tuesday, July 27. See page 2 for schedule.
SUMMER LEARNING SPONSOR LIST IN FORMATION
Gilbert Aronowitz
Carol Buckmann in memory of Mayer Siegel
Debbie & Hal Chadow
Debbie Wang Etzion & Gloria Wang Miller for Fay Saltzman
Lorraine & Harold Domnitch
Marc Epstein
Tina & Philip Machnikoff in memory of Rabbi Michol Scholar
Alisa & Michael Hoenig
Barbara & Gedale Horowitz
Joan & Henry Katz
Ruth & Milt Mitzner
Carol & Jeff Kaufman
Gloria & Harvey Kaylie in memory of Lorraine White
Sam Levitt in memory of his brother Milton Levitt
Cindy & Glenn Ludwig
Sydelle & Robert Knepper
Sonia & Sam Movsas
Jolanta & Frank Rosenstein in memory of and honor of our parents
Karen & Robert Spitalnick in memory of Jonas Steigman
Gisela Steigman in memory of Jonas Steigman
Melissa & Sam Toledano in memory of his father
Great Neck Synagogue Talmud Torah is now taking  Y
registration for the 2010‐2011 school year.  A
This program is open to members of the Great Neck
Synagogue – please contact Mark Twersky for
membership details at mtwersky@gns.org
The Talmud Torah curriculum has been redesigned by
Rabbi Polakoff. Classes will meet for two-hour sessions
twice a week (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday
depending on grade.)
Please register now online at
http://www.gnstt.org/registration
WITHIN OUR FAMILY
Mazal Tov to Lyda & Ben Hakimi on the engagement of their son
Neal to Diana Nedra of Great Neck.
Mazal Tov to Regina & Joe Gil on the birth of a grandson born to their
children Debra & Gideon Gil.
Mazal Tov to Anne & Raymond Sandler on the birth of a grandson,
born to their children Shlomit & Adam Sandler.
NSHA GOLF & TENNIS OUTING
NSHA’s 7th Annual Golf, Tennis Outing will be held on Monday
August 2th, 2010 Honoring Reuben Askowitz. 11:30 am shotgun, tennis
(ladies at 9:30am followed by lunch & men's at 2:30pm), card games
mahjong lessons, brunch, BBQs and a sunset cocktail party with the
million dollar Jet Blue Challenge followed by buffet dinner, with prizes,
raffles and auctions and our evening Charity Texas Hold’em Tourna-
ment. For additional information re: sponsorships/participation please
email Arnie Flatow at aflatow@nsha.org or call 487-8687 ext 133.
SAVE THE DATE
The North Shore Mikvah Association Melava Malka in recognition of
Sharon Goldwyn, Mindy Hercman, Trudy Justin, Hindi Lunzer, and
Rama Seltzer will take place Motzei Shabbat, October 16th 2010 at the
Great Neck Synagogue. More details to follow.
Robert Mendelson wishes to express his appreciation to the
rabbis, cantor and many congregants for their kind expression
of sympathy following the recent passing of his father,
Walter Mendelson.
HUNGER INITIATIVE The Hunger Initiative Pass It Forward Committee
will be having its first planning meeting for Rosh-Hashanah on Thursday
July 29 at 4 pm at the home of Cindy and Morris Hodkin, 18 Birchwood
Lane. The meeting is expected to last approximately 1 hour. Anyone
interested in attending, please e-mail or phone Cindy at
ckorman@csklaw.cc or 482 7771. New members are welcome. Drivers
for deliveries are needed!!!!
Regular food drop offs continue Friday’s, at 18 Birchwood Lane. Drop off
hours are between 10 am and 1pm. Kindly place your food in the cooler.
Saturday, 20Av
Harriet Fredrick for Ida Sillen
Paul Weinberg for Ise Klein
Sunday, 21Av
Jeffrey Bilfeld for Florence Bilfeld
Esther Verbit for Gila Lantz
Monday, 22 Av
Carl Rosenberg for Bluma Muller
Tuesday, 23 Av
H Eva Bachrach for Gertrud Grunfarb
R Anne Gold for Morris Feinstein
Robert Knepper for Maxwell Knepper
Z Morris Nasser for Victoria Hercz
E Carl Rosenberg for Julia Muller
I Wednesday, 24 Av
Andrew Adler for Bernard Adler
T Mahin Aryeh for Yahya Aryeh
Steven Mayer for Max Mayer
Thursday, 25 Av
Cindy Ludwig for Mary Gelber
Henry Schwartz for Ruth Schwartz
Friday, 26 Av
Hannah Kleinberg for Samuel Gross