Earliest Candles 6.16 pm Shabbat Begins at 7.26 pm Shabbat Ends at 8.27 pm
Parashat Ki Tavo 5 September 2020 16 Elul 5780 This Friday night at 7.00 pm the Kabbalat Shabbat service will be live-streamed from Edgware United Synagogue via facebook https://www.facebook.com/edgwareu/live (no account needed). The livestream will end before Shabbat comes in to allow you time to switch off computers, phones etc. Weekday and Sunday Shacharit will continue to be live-streamed from the same Facebook link.
Thought for the Week by Rabbi Shisler We have a quite extraordinary occurrence in our sedra today in that there are two words that we must not read but must substitute completely different words for them. (Chapter 28, verses 27 and 30) The reason is as follows: In ancient times it was the custom to have a person translate each verse of the Torah as it was read by the Baal K’riah. He was known as the Meturgeman – Translator. The Talmud, (Megillah 25a), discusses certain passages that should be read, but not translated. These are either exceedingly holy, or ones that show individuals or the whole nation in a bad light. For example, the incident of how Reuben moved his father’s bed into his mother’s tent (Gen 35), the priestly blessing (Numbers 6), and the Golden Calf. These (as well as some others) the Talmud says, should be read, but not translated. The rabbis wanted to spare the feelings of the people and for the same reason they had the tradition that substitutes should be read for these two words. Although we may not be so sensitive to them today, it would appear that the words and had obscene implications that made them sound crude to the ancient ear. The first means ‘a swelling,’ or a ‘tumour’ and the second ‘to lie with a woman.’ The substituted words say essentially the same things, but in a softer way. The Rabbis wanted the Torah to express itself with ultimate refinement and never cause shock or distress to those who heard it read. And to achieve this, they were even prepared to instruct us to never read aloud these words to protect the holy character of this, the most sacred of books.
Weekday Shacharit Services We are delighted to announce that we will be holding two weekday Shachrit services from Monday morning. The first will be at 7.15 am in the main Shul and the second will be at 8.20 am in the hall.
Face Masks Every person attending shul must bring their own face mask. Any person without a face mask will not be allowed into the shul and will be asked to leave. Please avoid embarrassment and understand that the wearing of masks in shul is essential, with your and everybody else’s health and safety a priority. Due to updated guidance, Face Shields / Visors are no longer acceptable, only face masks are allowed.
Mazal Tov To Pauline Harris and Ruth Waltzer on the birth of their great grandson, a son for Tova and Nathaniel Harris in Israel, a grandson for Sara and Asher Amor and Lorraine and David Harris and a great grandson for Sima and Michael Amor. To Michael Gillis on his special birthday. To Deborah and Michael Schwartz on the marriage in Jerusalem on Sunday of their daughter Dena to DJ, son of Susan and Danny Newman.
We wish all our members Shabbat Shalom! We wish everyone good health in these troubling times.